I started going to Joyce's to work with the dogs she had there and help with the adoptions. I felt lost without a dog in my life (Java's "sister", Eliza, a fourteen year old Doberman mix had died the year before). I was heart-broken, and being around the dogs at Joyce's felt safe-- I started thinking that maybe one of these dogs would be my next dog. Joyce, however, had other ideas. She brought up the German Shepherd puppy that Sunny had-- several times. Finally I relented and made arrangements to meet the puppy.
Well, the puppy was 11 months old-- all gangly teenager growing into her adult self. I went to pet her and she peed on my foot-- she was VERY submissive. She also had a beautiful smile and a light in her eyes that I fell in love with. The question was, would she pass the cat test? I took her home to meet my two cats, Patch and Edo-- she could have cared less about them, and Patch walked up to her to say "hi", no reservations what so ever. I had found my girl.
Joyce and Sunny had gotten Shasta and her sister Isabel from the Stockton shelter. Isabel found a great home right away, but Shasta was very shy and was more difficult to place. She was adopted out once before I got her, but returned because she chewed the fence and dug in the yard-- not atypical behavior for a 8 month old puppy. When I got her she destroyed much of my landscaping and had a special taste for toss pillows, but I knew that was part of puppyhood, and that it would pass. She is now a grown up dog, with wonderful manners-- a total love.
I've always told stories to my critters-- stories about how they came to be in my life. Shasta's story includes the bit about her being "bad" and being returned to H.A.L.O. The way I see it, her chewing up things and digging at the other adopter's home was the best thing that could have happened-- because I think that Shasta was destined to be my dog, and for me to be her human. Destiny didn't care that I wasn't ready for another dog, that I didn't want a puppy and that I didn't want another German Shepherd. Destiny only cared that the right dog found the right human. And she did.
-- Christine (Proudly owned by THREE H.A.L.O. Critters)
Shasta came into my life three months after my thirteen year old German Shepherd mix, Java died. I had just started volunteering with H.A.L.O. (Homeless Animals' Lifeline Organization), and was at a H.A.L.O. meeting when the dog adoption manager, Joyce, heard about Java's death. She said "German Shepherd? Sunny is fostering a German Shepherd puppy you should meet." But I wasn't ready for another dog yet, and I didn't want another shepherd mix, and I didn't want a puppy. Three strikes, I was going to pass on this pooch.
