The Story of Eli
Eli has to be one of the most beautiful cross breed dogs I've ever seen, and fostering him was really an educational experience for me.
People always ask, "How do you give those dogs away?" and it is true, it is hard to get attached and give them up, but when one of the dogs loves YOU very very much, it becomes even harder. Eli is one of those dogs that REALLY loves hard.
He came to my house as a young 3-year-old, german shepherd/rottweiler mix, a very handsome combo of the two breeds, very compact with a shepherd face and a bit smaller than you might expect from that cross, but a very good looking boy. His owner, a young woman, had lost her housing and her relationship ended with her person and she could not take the dog with her. She told me that he was very attached to her and it would be hard to leave him. When she came to drop him at my house, she had a hard, hard time actually walking away. She held him, crying, for the longest time. I finally left her and the dog together in my living room to give them privacy, she cried so hard and so long over that dog. And Eli loved her back.....he waited by the door for her for THREE days to return after her departure. He would be friendly and sweet if you called him over, he ate a little and drank, but he would not leave the spot at the door where she had exited. Finally one day he managed to get out the front door and he ran to where her car had been parked, sniffed around, and then I saw him catch the scent and go tearing down the road, me running after him yelling "Eli!!"
I did catch him. And he did finally forget his person, and attached himself...to ME. He became my shadow, wanting to go everywhere with me, and I sure didn't mind, what a nice dog! This was early in our fostering years and we didn't have very many dogs at the time, we toyed with the idea of keeping Eli. People who saw us together would remark, "You should keep that one, he really loves you!"
I was running adoption events at that point, and "my" store was a once-a-month event and I began to take Eli. The store had a veterinary clinic inside and one of the vet techs began seeing Eli with me when I attended once a month. And over the course of time, she fell in love with him, despite not initially being in the market for a dog. She and I talked about how attached Eli was to me, and I was quite concerned that he would wait at the door for three days for me to return and try to dash away, just as he had at my house. But the adopter I found for this dog was just too wonderful.....and she understood how to make a new dog comfortable and also, how to ease my mind, as I was actually a much less experienced rescuer at that point and was worried myself about how Eli would adjust. But it seemed like the right home, I got the twinkle.
So I take Eli over there and sure enough, they decide to adopt him. I carefully said goodbye to the dog and whispered "see you in heaven" in his ear as I did already at that point, and left, expecting Eli to jump through the window to follow me, or something.....but nothing happened. His new family was keeping him happy. And sure enough, the adopters let me know that he indeed did excellent, and re-bonded with their family just as beautifully within a short time and he fell hard in love with THEM. Eli is just a loving devoted type guy.
A few months down the road they wanted to go on vacation and decided making the long trip to my house was the best place for Eli to be babysat, and they knew how he loved me, so they thought it would be best if I watched him.
So they bring Eli to my house and drop him off. I see the dog getting real worried as they are saying their goodbyes.
And then WHAT does he do after they leave?
He spent three days waiting by the door again! This time I understood better and did my best to distract him, but I learned that dogs have so much love to give sometimes, they don't have trouble re-learning their lives, and learning how to open their heart again. They are not like people, afraid to love because they are afraid to lose. The just love with their hearts wide open. And yes, while they grow attached to me or members of my family, they always re-adapt in their new homes as long as I place them well, with a loving, caring family who give them time to adjust.
For years after that, people would see dogs hiding behind my legs or puppies sleeping on my feet at events, or I'd tell folks how the fosters were fond of sleeping on my feet at night, or other signs that the fosters really love our family, and they would ask, "how do you do it, how do you give them away when they love you so much?". And I just think of Eli, waiting for his new family by the front door for three days, just as devoted to them (or maybe even more) than he was to his first family, or than he was to me, and I know that they will be alright. And I just smile.
(photo on my FB page)
