Allie-A happy ending

by Christine
(Salem, Oregon)

Allie and Fishie!

I saw Allie advertised on a pet web site as a 2 year old Standard Poodle, needing re-homing. So I began discussions with the owners. According to them, Allie as "hyper" and had knocked the baby down and they had not let her in the house for 8 months and felt guilty about that and thought it would be a good idea to get rid of her.

The day I went to meet Allie, she was in a dirt pen in the back yard with another, 8 year old Spoo. The father, who I had done all the communicating and seemed to be the person who took care of the dogs, was not home. His wife was the one to take me into the back yard to see Allie. When she let the dogs out of the pen, she sent the older male into the house and Allie freaked! She looked wild eyed and scarred to death of this lady who could not get near Allie. As the lady tried to approach Allie, Allie just woofed and backed up, running in an arched circle away from the lady. After watching this display for a moment I asked the lady if she had any food. She then went into the house and returned with some string cheese that she broke into pieces and threw in a bread crumb like trail towards me. As Allie followed this trail of cheese pieces she eventually reached me and then the lady threw the cheese to me. I gave Allie a piece as she had come to be sitting right in front of me. Her mouth was soft and gentle. I slowly put my fingers under her too tight collar half expecting her to start flailing herself around when she realized that I had a hold of her but she just sat there looking at me.

I immediatly asked my mother to go out to the car and bring in the harness I had brought with me. I changed Allie into the harness and left the too tight collar laying there on the ground. I quickly paid the lady her small "rehoming" fee and shuttled Allie to the car.

After getting Allie home I found that she was not house broken and that she had terrible separation anxiety. She was an emotional wreck but clearly, she had attached herself to me, to my relief. After watching her with that lady, I was very concerned that she would be afraid of me but that turned out not to be the case.

So what I thought was a re-home, I really feel was a rescue. I think that the older, male Spoo who was at that house was tolerated better by the lady because he was older and more mellow. Allie was purchased for that other dog because the man had gotten busy with his business and raising a young family. Clearly his wife did not like the puppy, Allie. Luckily, he made the right choice and got Allie out of there. I have never seen Allie behave the way she did that first day although she is a shy, slow warm up to strangers kind of girl and I'm sure always will be.

After a year and half though she is doing beautifully. She is happy and well adjusted. She's lucky compared to what many rescues go through before finding loving, real homes! But in the end, I am the most luck as I am crazy about Allie. Love, love, love her!