Come True By Denise Fleck, The Pet Safety Crusader™
I give tremendous kudos and long-distance hugs daily to amazing people who make dog dreams come true! To JoAnn, Matt & Arizona Dimon of Big East Akita Rescue who saved Wish, along with Debbie DeMello, Dr. Tracy, Collin Ashe Goldacker and the village of volunteers, I give my undying thanks. Whether you rescue hands-on and give from your heart or wallet, YOU make a big difference in providing necessary care to at-risk dogs. To Sylvia Harris, President, Friends of the Gilmer County Animal Shelter, the shelter staff and volunteers including Ernie Taylor, Heather Curvin and Elmira Alongis, my unending love and gratitude for caring for Kiko (our 13-year old Akita who crossed the Rainbow Bridge in 2023). You connected me with a truly beautiful soul. To my Board of Directors & staff of The Grey Muzzle Organization who work tirelessly to ensure senior dogs thrive and no old dog dies alone and afraid, I’m honored to work alongside of you on behalf of senior dogs. To Wendy Schmerse who brought Haiku & Bonsai into my life, to the staff and volunteers of The Burbank Animal Shelter where I volunteered for years, and to the many animal rescuers and caregivers I’ve never met but do such amazing work, thank you! And...to those of you who adopt, thank you for making a difference in the life of an animal and making their wish come true!
Most adopted pets need time to decompress from the trauma of being stray and/or in a unrelentingly noisy shelter situation, but on top of that, it takes time for them to trust and learn a routine and understand that this chapter in their lives is forever. Extremely sweet, Wish kept her guard up for many months and seemed unsure of herself and her surroundings except when she was outdoors. It took almost two months before she even made a sound! We don’t know if Wish ever lived in a home. She may have but possibly wasn’t allowed near the kitchen as she seemed to fear that room of our home for several months. She has mastered going down our carpeted stairway to the basement but is struggling with the going up part. Magically during her seventh month as our girl, Wish’s face relaxed and she has become much more expressive, her corkscrew tail wags upright at the sight of us, and she’s looking directly at us when she wants something, even doing a cute in and out of her mouth with her tongue when she wants dinner! At the sound of a thunderstorm, she now comes to us for comfort. Observing a senior dog blossom as he or she becomes more confident is a beautiful thing.
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