It's been incredibly rewarding and I encourage everyone out there to, even just once, open your home to a pet in need of love, peace and shelter. I know many cannot, due to pet restrictions in their home, but those that don't have a restriction, please please please consider it. You have no idea how satisfying, rewarding and fulfilling it is in addition to making better the life of an animal.
The dog I foster is a 3 year old Lab mix, quite possibly a lab/great dane mix though noone is really sure. He came to me bounding with energy, happy as could be and looking at the world like a child, everything seemed new to him.
He's been with me about a month and it's been a privilege to provide him the love, support and peace he clearly needs. Noone knows his story other than he is 3 and one of the (literally) tons of dogs rescued from the streets of Louisianna every year. Apparently they run loose in the streets like rats in NYC, everywhere, for the most part unwelcome and they are certainly just as unloved. (this is in NO WAY a reflection of Louisianna or NYC, but a reflection instead of the reality of so many castaways coming from the state. Why?)
Sunny came to me with the name Sundance, but to be honest he never warmed up to the name and Sunny is what he is. He wakes up with so much happiness, like a cancer patient in remission looking at the sunrise and being grateful just to get out of bed one more time, to breathe in fresh air and to seize the day. Every single day he's like this. Every morning. Every one of them. And so each and every morning he puts energy and happiness into me. I am lucky to help him on his journey.
Top 10 Sunny Learnings (so far):
10. He does not need to mark his territory on the fake Christmas trees (only happened once and we discussed it, afterwards the habit was kicked)
9. When adults have a 'discussion' with him, it does not have to end, begin or contain a beating in any way. He no longer curls into the fetal position on the floor when he thinks he's in trouble.
8. The hair dryer is scary but the vacuum cleaner is something you lay in the path of and don't move.
7. The Christmas tree is not a place to play hide and seek.
6. It's good to wait patiently for your meal and the human always wins the food ownership rule.
5. Sounds in the night are okay, really, they are okay, and the boogey man will likely never show up in his life again.
4. . Ginger's food bowl is hers and hers alone, so he now stands 2 feet from her waiting, anxiously waiting.
3. Toe/foot tapping on the floor is a sign that food has hit it. (a sad indicator of so many things he went without in life)
2. Snow is wet and cold. He was like a child with sensory issues that doesn't like to walk on the grass. (reminds me of some children from China when first home)
1. Water is something he can now take for granted and he does not need to body check Ginger as part of the Olympic sport of Water Bowl Body Checking.
He is a complex dog for sure, no one will ever really know his story, but the signs of major pieces of his life are there. He's a survivor, in spite of it all he is the most loving, friendly, happy dog I've ever met. My neighbors all love him, everyone who meets him agrees that he was made of happiness and sunshine. I cannot wait for the day that he finds a family who is deserving of him. I know, given his life experiences, he will always give them love and happiness every single day.
(if you know of anyone looking to adopt, please point them in the direction of the Sun)
2 comments:
It is really wonderful that you can provide him with a loving home if only temporary. I hope that he finds his forever family very soon.
Am so loving that you're doing this. And from the looks of the photo in the Santa hat, my vote is Great Dane also.
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