I live in what some would consider the boonies. My home is surrounded by trees, there are no city lights, and I fall asleep to the sound of cicadas, tree frogs, and the occasional lonely howl of the coyotes. It is heaven on earth. It is also, unfortunately, the area people with no conscience come to dump animals. Mama dogs who have not been spayed and are on their third or fourth litter. Un-neutered males who wander. Puppies, newly born and helpless. Cats who continue to have kittens. It is heartbreaking.
Each of my dogs was brought into the family from a rescue situation. My latest love is named Harper Lee. She came to the Troup County Humane Society because her owners chose to turn her in rather than make arrangements to keep her from going after the neighbor’s chickens. She was approximately 5 years old and showed the signs of having had multiple litters, one very recent. I saw her picture on the TCHS Facebook page and I fell in love. When we met, her name was Daisy. She was skittish and loved to carry in her mouth a stuffed bird which the ladies at the HS called her baby. She would hide that baby in a corner and go back to check on it over and over. Think about it.
Something in her eyes, something in her demeanor and I knew she was meant to be mine. That’s how it happens. You just know. It didn’t matter to me that Harper was a little older, that she obviously had some issues, that she was needy….my heart knew.
That first meeting happened close to a year and a half ago. Harper Lee will always be a little quirky. I have no idea the trauma she endured. But from a shy pup who sat on my feet and ducked her head when anyone approached, she has become an outgoing, loving companion who sets out each morning to visit my father next door. She dances when I come down the stairs with her dinner bowl. She is the first to alert me of someone on the drive and the first to greet the visitor with a kiss. She is my 55 lb lap dog. She has two younger brothers, also rescues, who she joyfully hops around to coax them into play. Every day, she provides me with unconditional love which knows no bounds. Every day, I feel so lucky that I was the one to take her home. Every day, I hope that others will be as fortunate as I and will find their next fur baby with the help of the Troup County Humane Society. Stop by. You may fall in love….
Elizabeth Sullivan