I've loved and cared for many in my years of rescue. Some stick with me more than others. I catch myself often thinking "do I have room for just one more?". But then reality snaps back and I realize I couldn't possibly devote the time and energy needed in to another dog of my own and continue operating a rescue.
And then there was Abbey...
Something grabbed me out of that horrible shelter mugshot of hers. Then, so didn't her story. At only a year old Abbey had been dumped at a high intake-high kill shelter. A rescue claimed her and she went in to a foster home, with a sigh relief I smiled for her and that was that, or so I thought. A a week later I happened to come across her again. She had been returned to the shelter and abandoned by rescue. Reading through the photo comments I found that her original foster passed her along to another stating that she had "too much energy" SHE'S AN AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD! Her second foster then "couldn't handle her, she was just too much and terrorizing the household". Of course now no one wanted to foster her now so back to the shelter she went. The shelter workers played along stating that Abbey was an extremely hyper dog and could go only to an adopter that could handle her energy. All the while I'm sitting here at home staring at her picture wondering why doesn't someone just take you for a walk? The days passed and passed and the clock was ticking for her. This shelter gave time limits and they didn't joke around.
So I waited and wished that some angel would come along and swoop her up but as just a few days passed by it became apparent that was not going to happen. Her time was up. She had already lost her kennel mate Blaze the day prior. I was heartbroken but what was I to do? She was in a shelter located thousands of miles away that I had never worked with and had no contacts. Who would go bail her out? Where would she stay and how the hell would I get her here? As the clock kept ticking and her final hour came closer I couldn't take it anymore. 8/20/2010 -I just started writing email after email, reaching out to whomever I could, I didn't care anymore, bound and determined I was going to save this dog.
Then within minutes I started receiving replies from people that were thrilled that someone actually wanted Abbey! Got in touch with a woman that boarded dogs from this shelter until they could go to their rescues, I also found a transporter that picked up dogs from boarding and would deliver Abbey right to my door. And with my angel Anne, who provided sponsorship, just like that it all fell into place...
Two weeks later it was the night of Abbey's arrival. Sitting, waiting, anxious about a dog being brought to my doorstep that I had never met. About three a.m. I hear car doors, they're here. I step outside and approach the van full of former death row dogs now heading to safety. They opened the doors and the woman said to me "'can ya guess which one's your girl?" yeah I knew. While others were exhausted and sleeping sure enough there was one awake. Tail wagging full speed, whole body wiggling trying to dig her way out of that pesky crate. She was here, Abbey made the journey from being abandoned to death row, twice, to me. It was almost surreal to actually be meeting this dog that for sure I thought was doomed. As they took her out and she came running into my arms a tear ran my down my cheek. I did it, with the help of many, Abbey made it, she was safe now, forever.
Abbey settled in quickly and made fast friends with our resident rescue "Itsy". The two never stopped going! Day and night chasing each other in circles around the house, the yard, the bed... We lost a couch to tug of war, a carpet to housebreaking a couple mini blinds to separation anxiety. But did I care? Not a bit. As predicted Abbey was not a nuisance, hyperactive or misbehaved. She was actually one of the sweetest, most charming and well behaved dogs to walk through this door. She just needed to get a good run in everyday!! She was smart as is her breed and needed things to do, friends to play with. people to entertain and she was wonderful at it!
It wasn't long before the emails began coming in of people wanting to adopt dear Abbey. One in particular stood out, a lovely family with three young boys. That was sure to keep Abbey entertained so we arranged a home visit and everyone hit it off! So there we were, Abbey found her place. Abbey truly loved her boys and new partners in crime, life was great!
Or so we thought...
About a month later Abbey was back, they decided they just could not handle energy. This mysterious energy I was yet to see but nonetheless once again her breed got the best of her.
Discouraged? Yes, but hell I get to see Abbey again! I could barely contain myself on the way to go pick her up. And when we saw each other it was like that first time we met all over again. She was pulling her "mom" at me and I was holding back from running at her. We had a blast over the next couple of weeks, Abbey, Itsy and me. Still I knew it couldn't last forever and had to keep myself as detached as possible (ha ha). I happened to be talking to my father one day while he was work and a co-worker of his just happened to be interested. I thought this would be perfect. A friend of my fathers, I can stay in touch, go visit, it would be great! So a week later there we were again, filling out adoption paperwork and saying a very, very tearful goodbye. But Abbey did great and her new family loved her, second time around, Abbey had found her place. Upon my first visit to see her it all happened again, both bouncing of the walls, crazy to see each other, hugs and kisses and a long emotional goodbye. From both of us apparently as I was told the next day that Abbey had scratched the door to shreds and even managed to eat the metal doorknob after I walked out. So that was it, I realized that no matter how much I would miss her our visits just wouldn't work. This could not be healthy for either of us, or the doors. I would have to leave her to her new life and allow her thrive.
Approaching a year later Abbey still managed to stay in one place! Receiving periodic updates all was well or so I thought...
Reports from from Dad starting seeming a little off with a brief, just "yeah, Abbey's fine" but not much else to say. Then he started to let me in on what he knew would absolutely infuriate me. Apparently Abbey had been having some separation issues when school time arrived and the whole family was gone all day. She was ripping down curtains, chewing all the woodwork, raising hell basically. So they got a her a crate, well Abbey ate right through it, while salvaging her teeth she managed to destroy a solid metal cage. So they tried a gate and allowing her to have just a portion of the house where she couldn't hurt anything but still have some space. Fail. Now came the last resort, an outdoor kennel, worked for while until Abbey learned that when her boy didn't close the gate when leaving for school she roam the neighborhood freely, making the rounds to all of her friends houses. The dog officer became quite familiar with little Abbey as she was a frequent visitor to the pound being picked up as a stray and her family got used to the weekly calls to come bail her out. (Now keep in mind, it's turned to Spring and I am still oblivious to all of these shenanigans.)
One early spring day I get a call, it's Dad. "Abbey's at the pound, her owner said they are done with her this time and aren't going to get her." WHAT!? After giving the ol' man 20 questions and learning all of the written above in the car I was and to the pound an hour away I went. I was on fire, almost driving another hour just to hit her so called owner in the head for feeding me all these lies and treating my dear Abbey well, like a dog! How dare you lock my dog outdoors in a cage all winter long and then somehow make it out to be her fault your defective son forgets to close the gate every damn week!! But then I realized, I'm going to get Abbey, I am driving to her right now, in just minutes I will be once again getting my girl out from behind bars and she will coming home with me. The fury passed as a smile came across my face.
Once again, we were together. And as usual it was bliss, the three us of goofing off, playing, just having a blast. At night I would lay in bed, Itsy on one side and Abbs on the other, yeah the boyfriend got a bit irritated with this setup but whatever I loved my girls! Of course I knew the play date couldn't last forever and would have to once again list as available for adoption. and so I did. Seems to be a bit of an Aussie frenzy out there these days, people just not knowing what they are getting into. So as before, the emails flooded my inbox and the search for Abbey's forever home began again, determined to help her find her place in this world that so greatly misunderstood her, even condemned her. Agonizing, it was, with each great application my heart broke a little more. Knowing that the day would come soon enough that yet again Abbey, Itsy and I would have to part ways. And this time was to be it!
On March 24th, 2012 I received an adoption application that stuck out from all of the others. There was actually some personality to it you could say. Something that made me want to know more about this person and also to tell her more about Abbey. So the chatting began, and I just loved this woman! She had a charisma, an energy, something you must possess in order to meet "Abbey's" high standards. After exchanging several emails and some phone calls we made our plans, time for another home visit with Abbey and her potential forever after. It seemed to me to be a rather long drive that day, maybe I just didn't want it to end. No matter how badly I wanted for Abbey to find her person, it was clear that a part of me just wanted so badly for that person to be me!
When we arrived Abbey seemed to be a bit more interested in the resident kitties than anything else but with a little time and persistence we managed to grab her attention. And she was, of course a hit. Even with her new found "kitty obsession" something felt really good this time around, after so many tries for the first time inside I could truly say, all just felt right. And on that day, March 30, 2012 Abbey and I would say our goodbyes, parting ways for what this time would be forever. For she had found what was the perfect place for her to be and the most perfect person for her to love.
Abbey's Mom and I have kept in touch over the past year, there have been ups and downs and ins out and outs. These so called "Abbey Antics", all of which have been taken in stride in such a manner that I could not have ever imagined. Things could not possibly get any better for the love of my rescue life. I don't have to worry for her any longer, I know that she is more than loved and cared for. And for this I thank her rescue Mom, who must have been sent from the heavens to save the life of my dear Abbey, the one surpassed all odds and will always carry a piece of my heart.
KEEP UP WITH ABBEY AND ALL HER ADVENTURES AT -
