OKC Pets Magazine Nov/Dec 2020

November/December 2020 • OKC Pets 19 I GRABBED MY STASH OF DOG TREATS AND THE SLIP LEAD I ALWAYS HAVE AT THE READY, STOPPED THE CAR AND HOPPED OUT TO WALK BESIDE THE DARK LITTLE FIGURE TO SEE IF I COULD FORGE A QUICK FRIENDSHIP. her all the support she needed. From that point, we just had to hope that her multiple issues and challenges would resolve over time with good food, clean water and lots of love. My tiny Cattle Dog remained in the hospital for five days. Each morning, I admittedly held my breath as I called to see if our patient had made it through another night. And each morning, I was greeted with good news. Gradually, the dog’s condition was improving, and her appetite never wavered. Finally, on the afternoon of the sixth day, my newfound foster friend was released to come home. The best medicine going forward was just to let the dog settle into our home and destress physically and mentally from her ordeal as a stray. Initially, she was very shy of me and Jim, scooting away from our approach, avoiding our company by hiding in her safe place—a crate inside a puppy pen. We gave her the space she needed. We decided to just let her find her way around our home. Our clever new friend soon followed the example of the other dogs and used the dog door to gain access to our large fenced yard. She inspected the entire perimeter with the same robotic determination that led her down our road on the day I found her. She didn’t seem to connect to anyone or anything in our home in the beginning. She was still just a shadow, trying to be invisible. Then, gradually, her drive for anything edible pushed her a bit out of her shell as she scurried forward with bright eyes and alert ears to accept any proffered bit of food. With our other dogs serving as role models, she also discovered that human companionship and petting wasn’t such a bad thing. Three months post-rescue, our little friend is still very much a work in progress, but progress within our home is now her friend instead of something to fear. From her initial weight of 15 pounds, she is up to a healthy 30 pounds. The frame once so frail is filling out and gaining muscle tone. The deflated belly is now consistently plump. She knows to go outside to potty. Her tail wags. Her determined path around the perimeter of our yard has been replaced by relaxed naps in the shade. She’s found her surprisingly loud voice. Her quirky little personality emerges a bit more each day. And yes, her bright eyes seek us out for not only food treats but also attention. I have no idea how a dog can become so neglected. I often wish I could know her backstory, but then I realize her past doesn’t matter now. We only need to look forward to the possibilities in her future. Possibilities that may include an adoptive home when she’s completely recovered though she is welcome to stay with us as long as she needs to. I realize I have neglected to tell you what name our little friend earned. She had such amazing support from so many caring people, and we are grateful for every donation, from food and supplies to financial support for her vet bills. Our friends, Steve and Marla Bradshaw, have championed this dog from the moment they first saw a photo of her, so we gave them the job of giving her a name. Appropriately, they selected a name that is also a word I have used repeatedly in telling her rescue tale. Our little Australian Cattle Dog is named Hope. Hope. It’s the gift we gave her when we plucked her off the side of the road. And now, hope is the gift she is giving back to us tenfold during a time when it’s really nice to latch onto a story with a happy ending. But really, this is a story with a happy new beginning for Hope, a once lost dog who is finally finding her way home. Learning to trust.