I heard of Eleanor at the very beginning of October - I had been traveling to different adoption events, and this particular Sunday, my friend Alisa was on hand to drive me to one in Fairfax with the Lost Dog and Cat Rescue. While there, I met a couple dogs, but none that met my criteria:
- Less than 20lbs, so I could carry on a plane or bus
- Older, so I wouldn't have to worry about not giving it enough attention while I'm working
- Not yappy or annoying
- Furry
However, I met Barb, who told me she was fostering a dog who was weaning her puppies and needed a vet check, then would be ready for adoption. She showed me a video of her dancing in a circle, and I fell in love.
Barb would probably say I was annoying for the next week. I checked in multiple times to see if she cleared a vet check, then wanted to know which adoption event she would be at so I could get there and see her first.
I had planned on having people over on Friday, but Friday evening was the night "Sugar Momma" (her foster name, because her puppies were Ben and Jerry) was ready for adoption. So, I gave my friend Matt a key to the apartment to let people in while Mat (my roommate) and Kelly (his girlfriend) drove out to Fairfax.
Poor Eleanor was a bedraggled, wet, shivering, and shy little thing when we showed up on the dark and stormy night. We spent over an hour with her - walking her, petting her, and, eventually, she crawled into Mat's lap and sealed the deal.
We brought her home, and she got quite the welcoming. My friends started coming over, and she was passed around, happy to be held by everyone and anyone. The storm picked up and our power went out, but she was a trooper until the end.
A few days later, I settled on the name Eleanor, after Eleanor Roosevelt. She's got this cute old lady face (with a bit of a beard), and human names for dogs are just funny.
Her history is a bit of a mystery. After having her for a month, she needed one correction then was perfectly potty-trained. She walks on a leash just fine, except for when her cataracts cause her to step off or bump into curbs. (She's familiar with the area now, so that hasn't happened for a while.)
She was put into foster care after she was rescued by the Humane Society in Arkansas at an animal hoarder's property with over 90 other cats and dogs. These two videos tell it best:
- "More Than 90 Animals Rescued from Arkansas": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tr7RK-yNu_w
- "Rescued Arkansas Dogs Start New Lives": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jpZeVREr5M
I'm so excited to have her now though! We are off to Washington State to visit my family. Here she is helping me pack:
