Animals are a big part of my life. As a kid, my mother FORBID me to have a dog or a cat no matter how hard I cried or how pathetic my begging became. I got a hamster when I was eleven. Big Whoop. But I loved him. Charlie was a ratty looking furry thing that one day managed to jump from under a hat on my bed and land himself into my Barbie dream car. The level of panic I had for his possible loss was an accurate expression of my love for him. Since that time I have loved many hamsters.
My senior year of college I rescued a cat from the local shelter. Jordan would live to be 18 and ripped part of my heart out when she died. There have been many cats, kittens, pups and dogs as fosters through multiple rescues. Some of those fur babies joined the family. Buddy was my very first dog. He was a rescue from the streets of Baltimore. A coworker found him ‘chasing’ kids on the bus stop for a morsel of food. To this day, he was the best dog I owned, or as some say, who found me.
Many, many animals have come to my home. Blind cats, deaf puppies (don’t recommend them), mamas and their litters, tripods, passive, aggressive, annoying, sweeter than you can imagine. My children have learned to live with and care for dogs and cats that we foster and adopt to new homes, new families. It is hard to let go but incredibly rewarding. Rescue is, without question, the way to go. But sometimes, you just don’t know what you will get.
And then there was Jake……
Jake came to us through Mama’s Shelter https://www.mamasanimalshelter.com/
His soft eyes and pretty coat were appealing to me. I always had pitbulls and though I adored them, I was attracted to this handsome blonde boy. Jake was about one year old and described as man’s (woman’s) best friend. His prior history was a mystery but he was reported to be kind, loyal and a tad anxious. It would be many months before I understood what that meant.
Jake was driven from the shelter in South Carolina to me in Baltimore. According to the volunteers that drove him, he spent most of his time on the floor of the passenger side of their cars, panting. He was nervous for sure.
Jake was heart worm positive and had just been treated two days before he came to us. We had the neighbors over to watch a Ravens game and Jake sat, emaciated and scared between my husband and neighbor. He was grateful but concerned. Over the next couple of weeks, Jake became accustomed to the 4 cats and 1 other dog who owned our home prior to his arrival. He became part of the family. But, there was no question he was my dog. He rarely left my side and didn’t seem to be able to lie or sit comfortably without having me in his sight. It was not until we moved from the city to the county less than a year after Jake came to us that we saw the level of angst and fear that crippled this poor four legged boy.
There it is…..destruction unearthed in a desperate fight to find Mama
There would be no end in sight, no answers, relief, medication, therapy, training or peace for Jake for many, many years.