Nine years ago today I walked into the Connecticut Humane Society and walked out with my best friend. Due to the fact that I lived in a small apartment I was there looking for a cat to adopt. Each shelter that I went to I couldn't help but to visit the dog section and the day prior to this was no different. I walked into that loud, smelly room to see cages full of tail wagging pups excited to see another visitor. Some jumped around and barked hoping to get my attention. Others sat politely by the kennel door, tongue hanging out hoping to win me over. However, the one that caught my eye and heart was the sad little dog lying in the corner of her kennel uninterested in all of the commotion around her. I crouched down to her level and looked her in the eyes. She didn't come any closer, she didn't wag her tail, she just simply stared back at me with eyes full of sadness. I honestly cannot explain my thoughts and feelings in that moment but I knew that she was mine the minute I laid eyes on her that Lilo was mine. I asked to have her brought into one of the play rooms so I could interact with her better. She stood there looking so scared. Her tail was between her legs, her head was cowered low, and she shook slightly. It took about 5 minutes of rubbing her head and talking to her for her to relax and let the tongue hang out and tail wag.
After talking to one of the workers I learned Lilo's story. She lived in the home of a frequent adopter with many other animals for the first 3 years of her life. Lilo and one of the other dogs got into a pretty bad fight. Lilo's shoulder was shaved and she was recovering from having stitches. Her owner decided to get rid of her after that incident. Lilo had been in the shelter for less than a day and was already beginning to show signs of depression. One of the notes on her kennel said that she was not suitable for apartment life. Because of her quick decline in health they decided that she was better off in my apartment than in that facility. I got the paperwork and went home to fully think about this decision. I was afraid to call my mother and tell her my plans because I just knew that she would talk sense into me and remind me how much work owning a dog can be. I was fully prepared with my counter argument but to my surprise she didn't try to talk me out of it at all. Completely shocked by this I filled the paperwork out and was back at the shelter the next afternoon.
Lilo voluntarily spent most of her time in her kennel for the first couple weeks that she was home. She warmed up to having me and my roommate Joe around fairly quickly but was extremely shy when visitors came over (hard to believe, I know.) It didn't take long for her to realize that this was her territory and she became our ferocious sounding guard dog. ;)
I look back on the past 9 years I have spent with my sweet girl and I truly believe that bringing her into my family was the best choice I ever made. We have been through many seasons of life together and she has always remained by my side. She has licked away tears and sat quietly with me during hard times with her head on my lap. She has jumped for joy every time we are reunited, whether apart for days or hours. She trusts me, protects me, and loves me more than anything in this world, expect maybe peanut butter. I can't imagine my life with this sweet girl by my side. She overflows her joy onto everyone she meets. I may just have the world's best pooch. and the bond between this girl and her dog is unbreakable. She is my child, my family, and this girl's best friend. Nine years ago I walked into a shelter and chose a dog, but the truth is Lilo chose me that day as her human. I thank the Lord each and every day for the blessing that I have received in her.
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| A Girl and Her Dog <3 |
