When I heard Elaine’s story of how she and her pet came together, it seemed like their relationship was preordained. Is it just chance that pets and their people come together, or could it be possible that some bonds between humans and pets are in fact inexplicably predestined?
Over lunch, our conversation had meandered to Elaine’s abiding affection for dogs. She had grown up with dogs and continued to have one or two throughout her married life. When they lost their last dog, Elaine would have gotten another one in short order, but her husband Russ felt otherwise; he felt the loss deeply and just didn’t feel ready for another dog. As time passed, Elaine occasionally checked in with him to see if he felt it was the right time, but 10 years accumulated and he hadn’t relented.
Eventually Elaine put the notion of a new dog out of her mind, until the day she received an email out of the blue from a “kill” shelter for dogs that needed to be rescued. Elaine is a strong advocate of giving homes to abandoned or abused animals, and the email piqued her interest enough for her to casually scroll through the death-row dog photos while she sipped her early morning coffee. Suddenly, Elaine sat bolt upright. A little face peered at her from one of the photos, and her heart swelled in response. This was her dog! She didn’t know why, yet she knew it with certainty: They belonged to each other.
But it was Wednesday, and Elaine had to go to work on Thursday and Friday. She called the shelter and explained her predicament. “That’s my dog, but I can’t come in until Saturday morning,” Elaine said. “Can I pay for her now so you won’t let anyone else adopt her?” The shelter staff said that would be against their policy, but assured her that no one would want the abused puppy because she barked all the time, didn’t sleep, and wouldn’t allow anyone to make contact with her. Nevertheless, Elaine called again on Thursday and Friday, only to be reassured that no one had claimed her dog.
On Saturday morning, Elaine rounded up her friend David to make the 90-minute drive to the shelter with her. Her husband was at a chess match; besides, she hadn’t told him of her plan yet. Upon their arrival at the shelter, Elaine all but burst through the door, asking for “her dog.” To Elaine’s horror, she was told that the pup was in the adoption room with a woman who had come in shortly before Elaine arrived. She slumped dejectedly into a lobby chair, David trying to console her with, “What’s meant to be will be.” While Elaine struggled with her emotions, the prospective new owner of the dog came into the lobby with the dog in tow. “No thanks,” she said, handing the leash to the staff person. “Won’t make eye contact and won’t let me touch her.”
Elaine stood up, and the dog turned around to look at her. As Elaine stepped forward, the dog did too, and Elaine reached down to scoop her up. The dog quickly nuzzled into her neck. “We’re going home,” Elaine said.
While Elaine and the dog snuggled together in their own newly formed world, David took care of the paperwork and fees. The shelter staff reiterated their warnings about the dog as they made their way out the door: “She barks, doesn’t eat, isn’t social, and doesn’t sleep!” David got into the driver’s seat to allow Elaine to attend to the dog, who immediately settled down on her lap. The pup took one very deep breath and slept during the entire ride. It was as if the dog felt a profound sense of relief now that she had finally found her way home.
Elaine’s husband returned later that day to find her sitting with a bundle of fur on her lap. “You didn’t!” he exclaimed. “I did!” she said resolutely. He argued vehemently against keeping the small dog, but Elaine remained firm.
Two days later, she walked past the closed bathroom door and heard Russ say in a baby-talk voice, “Who’s Daddy’s little girl?” Elaine flung open the door. “Aha!” she said, witnessing the startled Russ tenderly tickling the dog under her chin. “Would you mind?” he said indignantly. “We’re having a private moment!” He had surrendered the key to his heart to the pup, and she has protected it ever since.
Six years later, the dog – Isabella – is clearly the princess of the home, evidenced by dog toys, treats, and cushions in every room. When Elaine and Isabella made a visit to my office, Isabella eagerly went around to my co-workers to sniff and explore, happily wagging her tail. We all took turns holding and admiring her, and she seemed to thoroughly enjoy being the center of attention; it was hard to imagine that this dog had ever exhibited antisocial behavior!
Isabella sleeps in Russ and Elaine’s bed, the family of three cuddling together every night. Was the love affair preordained? Was Isabella scamming everyone with her less than desirable behavior until “her people” found their way to her? Who knows! But life is complete for this rescue dog and her family – perhaps, in fact, as it was always meant to be.
Lisa G. Murray is the marketing/PR director for HandicappedPets.com, an online pet product company serving the needs of aging, injured and disabled pets.