We try so hard to do what we feel is best for our dogs … we try so hard, in fact, that we sometimes forget to listen to their desires. George reminded us of this.
We’ll start with a little history.
When we rescued George from the shelter – where he was about to be euthanized – he had a broken jaw, and all the teeth on the right side of his mouth had been knocked out. His remaining 24 teeth were loose and severely rotten with a tight mat of hair wrapped around them (one of the worst dental cases our Dental Specialist had ever seen). George’s face was swollen, and infection oozed from his eyes and nose. He had been in great pain and suffering for, most likely, a very long time.
It appeared that prior to landing in the shelter, George had been an outdoor dog and he didn’t look at humans as a necessity. He wasn’t really afraid of humans, but he didn’t know that he “needed” them. We guessed that in all his approximate 10 years, he has never had his own person. He was “just a dog,” and a very neglected one at that.
Once in our care, George immediately received all medical attention necessary, and within a few days it was clear that he was feeling SO much better! And then, living in our home and receiving lots of love and attention, he began to bond … first with Dan, and then with me as well. He was clearly in his bliss, learning about this wonderful thing called “love”.
Yes, George loved us and we knew it … it couldn’t have been more clear. And we certainly loved him (it was impossible not to), but in keeping with our commitment to rescue and find the perfect home for each dog we save, we felt that his forever home was truly with someone other than us. And in the meantime Nina, who 4 months prior adopted Otis (another “Harley’s House of Dreams” rescue), told us she’d fallen in love in George through his photos and story. How perfect! We were so happy thinking that George would become Otis’s brother! We already knew Nina was an amazing dog mom.
The long-anticipated adoption day was finally upon us.
We arrived at Nina’s house with George and all of his worldly possessions … his bed, blankets, toys and other belongings. We spent several (super fun) hours with Nina and Otis. George was happy, he and Otis got along fabulously and Nina adored him. We were thrilled to know that George would have a super sweet brother and the perfect mom.
But that evening after we left, George became very stressed. He paced. He kept going to the front door. He was looking for us. He knew we left him. He was sad and confused.
George slept lightly through the night, waking up periodically to look for us. As the new day dawned, he continued to be worried. Nina had done everything she could think of to comfort him and let him know he was home, safe, and loved. But George would not relax, no matter what she did. Finally, Nina contacted us. She said it was breaking her heart watching him search for us. She didn’t know what else to do for him.
We had spent the night at a nearby hotel so that we could go back in the morning and say goodbye to George. We thought that if Nina gave it a couple more hours, George would settle in and relax. But he didn’t. He continued to look for us, and soon we were on our way back to Nina’s house. The moment we walked into the house, George leapt into my arms, giving me kisses (he’d never kissed me before!) and then raced back and forth between Dan and me … truly the happiest dog in the world! He was so excited, in fact, that he was even trying to get Otis to join in the celebration!
At that moment, it became very clear that George wanted – and needed – to be with us.
We are so grateful to Nina. She absolutely adored George, but she said that she had to put what was best for George ahead of what she wanted. And he had clearly chosen us; there was no doubt in her mind he was meant to be with Dan and me. Nina was the epitome of grace. Thank you Nina, you are truly amazing.
And so, we’d like to introduce to you the newest member of the Taylor family! George, welcome home!
