I am not a dog person.
I am not a dog person.
I am not a dog person.
And then there was Mattie.
The conversation went something like this:
"I know you might try talking me out of it, but I think I want a dog," said my husband.
"Well, actually I am not surprised you are thinking about a dog since you are home more these days," I replied. He didn't know this, but I had been expecting the dog conversation for some time.
So the process began and resulted in an agreement to find a dog who had been abused and needed a good home. There are many organizations around our state that put up pictures and details of older dogs who need a home, and many have been abused. Mattie was the one who caught my husband's attention during his diligent search.
Here is her story:
Mattie had been tied to a tree her whole life (6-8 years possibly) and her fur had grown around the rope where it was actually matted to her skin. Her eyes were closed shut with infection, she was covered with fleas, had a bad skin infection, infected ears and heartworms. She was a total mess! After her rescue, the organization spent lots of money with a local vet who treated all of the issues listed above and then they found her a foster home for dogs.
When my husband saw her picture and story online, he called the foster mom. I never knew there were foster parents for dogs! This foster mom deserves an extra star in her crown. She had fostered Mattie for about eight months, so she was the one who introduced us to her the first time. We fell in love at first sight, and the rest is history.
We officially adopted Mattie just in time for her to spend Christmas with us. The name Mattie means "powerful battler," so it fits her well when looking at her past years of fighting the elements of weather and dealing with whatever nature threw at her.
This blog is a tribute to the precious people who responded to Mattie and many other dogs they rescue each year. Leane (Mattie's foster mom) is a special person who constantly opens her home to abused dogs and loves them through it before handing them off to their furr-ever owners. Thank you, Leanne, for loving Mattie and for having the courage to give her away. You rock!
And by the way, I am learning to be a dog person...