Post 2: Happy Accidents — the one with the dog
Happy Accidents Part I
I always joke that last summer, I accidentally adopted a dog and accidentally started a nonprofit. This is only half true; both things were accidental because I never would have expected them to happen until they were already underway, but both also required a very serious commitment and more effort than I could have even imagined. According to the people who know me well, neither was really as accidental as I would like to think. For this post at least, I will be focusing on the path that led me to where I am today, with the title of “dog mom” being one of my proudest accomplishments.
I have spent my entire life surrounded by animals. I learned how to walk by holding onto my black lab, Betsey, for support. Growing up, that dog was my best friend, and she was around for most of my early childhood memories and milestones. At our home in the Philadelphia suburbs, we had an assortment of animals rivaling that of a modest petting zoo, ranging from chickens and parakeets to dogs and rabbits. Even if the animals sadly came and went (a devastating life lesson for a young kid) my love for animals just got stronger and stronger.
When it eventually came time for me to head to college, I knew that many changes would be in store, but I had no idea how difficult it would be to no longer have so many animals around. Almost instantly after moving out to Los Angeles, I knew that something was missing, and I tried whenever possible to hang out with whatever dogs I could find. I would visit my friends’ parents around LA on the weekends and even started volunteering at the Westside German Shepherd Rescue in my free time. I knew I wanted a dog of my own, but I always told myself that I would wait until after graduation to get one of my own so I could give it more time and a better life than I could as a college student.
Fast forward to August of last year, and there on my friend’s doorstep appeared two beautiful, sweet dogs that had been neglected by their previous owners and left to fend for themselves on the streets near 36th Place and Vermont. They were dirty, covered in fleas, and both had miscellaneous health problems that seemed to stem from their neglect. We found out from neighbors that they had actually found these dogs multiple times and returned them to their owners, who seemed completely unapologetic for the danger they were consistently putting them in. The neighbors had tried to make it easier for the owners, purchasing items like collars, harnesses, and leashes for the dogs to hopefully prevent them from getting out again, but each time they found them they were without these items and seemingly worse off than before.
My friends and I decided to take them in, and slowly but surely (as they realized how much work it would be to take care of them) Bailey and Zeus became more my responsibility than anyone else’s. Relatively, this was the best time to try to wrangle two large husky shepherd mixes with zero training, since I was working from home 90% of the time and had a very flexible schedule. I poured so much of my time and energy into them, all while also having conversations with the owners who still didn’t recognize what was best for the dogs. They thought it was fine to have their two young, energetic dogs living outside and getting picked up by animal control or hit by cars, but like most logical people, I obviously disagreed.
After months of back and forth, we finally agreed that I would keep the bigger, more energetic (and difficult) dog, Zeus. We had formed a special bond, and though he was challenging to work with from the beginning, I knew that he had a ton of potential if he stayed in my disciplined, loving care. Though I definitely worry about Bailey still (especially when their teenage daughter tells me that she got lost again or is injured), I know that Zeus was already a huge commitment to take on and I couldn’t have managed having both dogs forever.
I have now had Zeus for nine, going on ten months, and I could not be more grateful that I decided to take the leap and keep him. He has been an amazing addition to my life, and all of my friends’ lives, and we have been on so many great adventures. His life now is like a fairytale compared to his previous condition, and I am so excited to keep giving him the best life possible. Zeus just turned 2, and I can’t wait for many more years together.
