The Art of Lawn Diving and Diving Into Life

Harry's potential adopter mentioned that Harry seems to have an old soul; like this isn't his first time around.  When I see him dive head first into a patch of grass, his body pressed against the cool earth, and his nose burrowed between the blades, I believe he very well might be an old soul, one that is grateful to feel the earth under him again.

When he sprawls out on his back to sleep, his neck twisted to the side, and his little feet up in the air, or just stretches out as long as he can, I think how happy he is to be a pup again; thrilled to not be an old dog, but one with flexibility.

As he bounds across the room after a toy and lands on it, allowing himself to fall on it and roll over, he seems overjoyed to stretch his legs and move freely as if he's breaking in his new body.  When he bobs and weaves at the end of the leash after inhaling the sweet smell of great lawn, it's as if he has so much energy he might combust if he doesn't let it out.

On sunny days as we walk along the sidewalk, I watch his terrier shadow on the ground.  It brings a smile to my face to see the shadow's spring in his step, a little Happy Harry Strut.

And when he pauses a moment, he takes such delight in the simplest things.  He'll sit his little rump down to ponder a leaf or seed, or gaze upon a group of snails.   He has such joy, this little one.

What if dogs really are angels?  I mean, they do, after all, choose us.  We need them.  In some cultures it is said a man is not complete without a woman.  Perhaps no human is complete without an animal companion.  Some traditions state that everyone has an animal spirit guide.  We do not choose that animal based on what we "like"; it is the animal spirit who chooses us.

When I see all the animals behind bars in shelters, so many of them whose life will be snuffed out within 24 hours if they cannot find their human, I think how tragic it is--even more so if these are angels sent down to help humans and they never found their person to help.  Perhaps their soul (and sole) purpose is to guide us, help us.  Which explains why there are so many of them.  We humans are a sorry lot; we need all the help we can get.

Harry is one very special soul.  He's here to help someone.  Who, I don't know.  Which is why the idea of choosing his adopters is such a monumental task, that I am petrified.  With how many animals are homeless, priority one is to get each one of them a good home, even if it's not perfect.  But what if his purpose is to be there for one certain person, and I place him where he isn't supposed to be?

We received an inquiry from a great couple who were looking for their first dog.  They both had had dogs growing up but since they lived in a no-dog apartment building, they couldn't have a dog until now.  His job was relocating him to another state, and they could finally buy a house with a yard and wanted to start their canine family.  They wanted to save a dog out of LA and take him with them.

With Harry's health off and on, I worried about the stress of moving.  But I didn't want to be "that rescue"--you know, the ones who won't let someone adopt because they aren't above and beyond every expectation.  So, I said okay to them meeting him.  If there wasn't a connection, then there was no reason to proceed anyhow.

But who doesn't fall in love with Harry?  No one.  They were really good people.  I was hesitant on the moving thing though as it was half way across the country.  Would that be stressful enough to cause Harry to become ill--or continue to be ill?  I am involved in transporting first and foremost.  We move dogs about the country all the time, but we don't move sick dogs (unless it's to get them somewhere for treatment).

So, when they left after meeting Harry, plan was for them to do a trial run with him when they returned in a week from house-hunting out of state, and then if Harry was well enough, they could travel with him.  Their apartment was No Dogs Allowed, but since they had a move out date set anyway, policy be damned.

The next morning, I woke up conflicted.  It didn't feel right.  I felt forced into it.  What if Harry got sick during or because of transit?  They wouldn't have a vet set up in their new town; if it didn't work out, how would they return him to us?  I worried that he would escape the apartment during the packing up and moving.

But how do I get out of this now?  I want the best home for Harry, not just a good home.  I know these two will be spectacular pet parents and should totally have pets.  But I just think it's too much stress on Harry.

So, while Harry recovered this past week, I still spread the word.   If great adopters were found here in town before they returned, then I had to consider them.  It would be less stress on Harry, and less stress of me worrying about his health and well-being.

I created business cards with his adoptapet link on them to hand out to passer-bys who inquired about him, and I sent out a flyer to friends to pass around.  Because he was still coughing, I couldn't take him to high-traffic areas were he could easily find his forever family.

Success: in fact, success from both techniques.  One from the business card, but just twelve hours prior to that, one reply from the emails I sent out.  I had met the woman (whose name is Stephanie) and her husband before at a party, as well as her terrier/chi mix, Lucy.  She was looking for a friend for Lucy, and her cat had just passed away.  Lucy is two years old but has the energy of a puppy, so she thought a puppy would be great and Harry seemed like a good  fit.

Sunday morning she stopped in - without Lucy - to see if she felt a connection to Harry.  She did.  Harry really liked her.  Over the past week he's met a lot of people and I've learned to decipher his expressions of how well he likes someone.  He liked her lots.  He didn't go for her engagement ring, as he had to a few other people, but went for the strings on her shirt.  He crawled up in her lap.  He licked her face.  And when she sat down to fill out the adoption application, Harry sat by her side, making sure she filled it out properly.

This felt better.  Yes, the other couple was fantastic.  But so is this adopter.  It wasn't just a selfish motive to have Harry nearby.  I really do believe a dog knows who he should go to.  At times during his "pondering sessions" sitting on the grass by the sidewalk, Harry would wag his tail at families walking down the street.  Some he wagged more for; some less.  Some people who walked by he would even lower himself in the grass and give the best "Look how cute I am!" pose with butt up in the air and eyes peering up between blades of grass.  It was like he knew who needed to smile; who needed just a loving look from a puppy to make their day.

And so, after checking with Christy, the plan was to check with the vet in the morning and see if Harry was still contagious.  He wasn't coughing a lot, but he was still on pills and the last thing we wanted was for Harry to infect Lucy.  But that is what would make or break this deal: whether or not Lucy and Harry got along.

Lucy lives a social life, going to dog parks and friends' homes with other dogs and other dogs visit her.  I didn't think it would be issue at all.  I think Harry's person had found him.  But first and foremost, the other angel already assigned to this person and her husband had to give her stamp of approval.  After all, they were going to be a team.  And even angels don't always get along.