A Doggedly Handcrafted Life

Mid-May I adopted a dog from Almost Home Rescue.  Through an incredible volunteer corps, they bring up dogs on “death row” from the South to place with foster families while waiting for their forever homes here in the Northeast.  It’s a vast network of shelters, volunteer coordinators, volunteer foster moms and dads, veterinarians, and a tag team of people willing to drive incredible distances in a day to give these dogs a second chance. I’ll write more about this organization and fostering later, because this post is all about my miracle pup, Elsa.

From what I’ve been told, my dog did not come from the South but rather from southern Maine.  Her survival is the result of the kindness of strangers and a willingness to bend the rules.  Elsa was spotted along the side of a highway, and for two weeks she eluded the very people who wanted to help her.  It was only after she tore her anterior cruciate ligament that they were able to catch her.  She was in a horrible state. Emaciated, unable to walk and in such a severe state of neglect and poor health that she was going to be put down until Almost Home Rescue stepped in.  They spent an incredible amount of time and resources bringing her back to health.  When she was released from veterinary care, she was sent to a foster home where she thrived and waited for someone to adopt her.

Elsa is estimated to be about ten years old.  She is an Australian Cattle Dog/Blue Heeler mix with a bit of Beagle thrown in for fun.  Her foster mom brought her  to adoption events, wrote a wonderful description of her on the Almost Home Rescue website, but no one showed much interest.  It is harder to find placement for older dogs, and when Elsa was rescued she was very shy.  Humans tend to gravitate to outgoing, puppy or puppy-like dogs, I suppose.  Perhaps younger dogs appear easier to train, able to adjust to change better and bond with new humans easier.  Maybe younger dogs are seen as more playful, more coordinated, and have more stamina than an older dog.  To those of you who may have met Elsa at an adoption event or seen her on the website, and thought any of the above, I’m sorry to have to tell you, YOU MISSED OUT ON A GREAT DOG!

I tell you why in a moment … let’s continue with the narrative…

A series of events pushed me directly into the path of this wonder dog.  My mother, who had been ill, was rapidly declining as the winter wore on under circumstances that involve other people who should be ashamed of themselves!  It was imperative to move her out of our current apartment, but it’s not easy to find housing immediately.  A friend needed a house sitter and offered us her house for 3 months while she was out of the country.  But I could not take my cat, and then at a spinning guild meeting, another friend heard about my plight and offered to take him for the three months. 

My friend also happens to be one of the incredible Almost Home volunteers and Elsa’s foster mom.  Over the three months that Jack spent with her, I visited him once a week and also got to know Elsa. She was incredibly sweet, but very quiet.  She hung back most of the time.  I have to admit that I was worried that because of her age, she wouldn’t be energetic enough for me.  I love to take long walks and explore the national park where I live.  I was looking for a dog who would be a tireless walking companion.  So I joined my friend and her pack on a couple of walks and took Elsa on a couple of short rambles by ourselves. 

Elsa is just lovely – she blossoms when she is in the woods.  She loves to take walks.  She gets this perky, lively look on her face when you snap the lead onto her.  As for stamina, she is incredible.  We take at least two long walks a day, but often more.  She is fearless and coordinated, more so than her new mommy, and will gamely scramble over rocks and down mountainsides (surely she must have some mountain goat in her!).  She is stubborn, smart and well behaved.  She is affectionate. She loves to be brushed.  She hates thunderstorms (as I recently found out), but will walk in the rain. She loves to be toweled dry and thinks it’s a game. She plays fetch (but will only bring the ball back half way) and tag on the school playing field. 

She is an incredible flirt! The four year old male dog across the street loves her, as does another dog up the road.  She is a definite Ms. Flirty McFlirt!  Jack the Cat is in love with her (wants to be near her all the time, touches noses with her, pats her head – seriously!), and she tolerates it for the most part (poor Jack!). And she adores rides in vehicles. Any vehicle.  She has tried to get into the back seat of Hondas, Toyotas, Subarus, VWs, Fords, an Audi, and a couple of Volvos.  Twice she has tried to get on a school bus (the second bus driver didn’t find it as funny as I did)!

Sometimes she gets this look on her face, like she is trying to say something.

Me:  Are you trying to say something?  What is it?

Elsa: [tossing her head, looking at me intently]

Me:  Go on, just say it.  Don’t be shy.

Elsa: [tossing her head more, a low whine coming from her throat, and bouncing up and down on her front feet]

Me: Just say it.

Elsa: AaaaaRRRooooooooooooo

Me: You don’t say!  Then what happened?

Elsa: Ruff Ruffff Rrrrrrrrrrrrrruuuuuffffff!

Okay, you really have to be there – but it’s delightful when she does that! I do think she is the best dog I’ve ever had.  Everyone who meets her, loves her.  Can’t go into a shop or the bank without getting a treat.  We actually were walking past a sandwich shop one day and the counter clerks stopped us to give her a dog biscuit.  After petting her, one of them darted behind the counter and came back with a big chunk of poached chicken!

This quirky, loving dog has made me so happy, and I’m so lucky to have her with me.