Hard to believe it's been a couple of years since this little goof joined our family. But I remember how it happened as if it were yesterday!
She had been through a lot when my mom got sick and then left the house for one last time. The husband couldn't take care of himself let alone the pup and his family wasn't ready to let us take her yet although they didn't like dogs.
So it left all of us in a pickle. Technically an animal is "property" and while the husband was still alive she was his property. Obviously we didn't want to add stress to him after losing his wife, yet he didn't have the mental capacity to do the right thing or to take care of her. She could have gone days with out food and who knows about water. She wasn't walked, played with or let outside often enough. She was depressed not knowing where my mom was. Scared of the man that kept falling around her. Poor thing had hair that was gross, and her skin was a mess. My mom would have been livid.
When it was finally time to come get her the step family had placed her somewhere else. That family stuck her in a cage and she went ballistic. Thankfully they didn't keep her in there for long and gave her the love she needed and a bath.
But that is where things got wonky. They wanted to keep her. But I knew my mom would want us to have her. Vegkid was so upset about everything, the husband said no more dogs, and I was torn to bits about the decision. I remember that night like it was yesterday. I didn't sleep, my heart ached something fierce. Do I take this dog away from that family? How do I know they will take care of her like I would? How do I get past yet another hurdle with my husband to bring her home? What about the expense of having a dog again? What about the 20hr drive alone it would take in the winter and snowy traffic with one of the worst snow years that state had ever experienced? What if she didn't like the car ride? What if she was the neurotic mess that she had been at my Mom's house? What if she didn't fit in or her bad hips couldn't handle our stairs?
But worse, those people wanted to keep her. How do I make them sad and take her after everything everyone had already been through. But dang it, I had to acknowledge that I was sad too, I had just put my mom's body in the ground. After all. The dog wouldn't fix that but she belonged with us none-the-less. It was a horribly tough decision.
The family called and gave me 24hrs to come get her. So that night was do or don't time.
The decision was heart wrenching and I reached out to a lot of my friends including my coaching friends who reminded me of the regret I would feel if I didn't follow my mom's wishes.
I slept for a couple of hours and woke to the most clarity. Driving I went!! With a peace, focus and strength that I never felt possible. No tears, no emotion! I was on a mission.
To walk back in to their home. To go back to that place just a month after my mom left it and gather some of her things. They wouldn't tell me where the husband was to go see him and the house still had piles of poop from when the dog had been there. It was time to pick her up from the other house and get out of that town. I felt the Hebee Gebees being there and just needed to get home.
Upon arriving to pick up the little stinker, she went completely nuts. Jumped in to my arms and has been with us ever since.
After a perfect drive, a good vet check-up and grooming, some food and healing for both of us, she became a wonderful addition to our little family. The husband even loves her and he never loves dogs.
With the exercise she gets here, her hip has never bothered her, we worked through her skin issues and she is absolutely hilarious with so much personality and a calmness that she never had there. Currently her favorite thing in the world is to chase lizards and try to catch chipmunks. Then she comes in, tucks herself under the blankets and goes to sleep.
She did need a surgery on her tail and will likely need another soon. But looking back, I'm so glad I followed my gut and that we've been able to give her the home she deserved. The home that my Mom would want her to have. Not saying the other family couldn't, but this girl is a NeeNee's family dog through and through.
Yup that was a couple of years ago yet so near to my heart. Harder to believe that she is almost 12 yrs old already. Time sure does move quickly but when you follow your inner voice, the memories are worth every minute.