Orissa’s Family
I was a scared little girl transformed into a confident dog that found her forever home!
Hi, remember me Orissa. I was the one that was very afraid and hid in the corner of the kennel at the Baldwin Park Shelter. A rescue group had committed to take me, but decided that I was too timid and told the shelter they would pass on me. This nice man saw them and asked if they were going to take me. They said no, they could not because I was too scared. I remember that day very well, because it was rainy and cold. He just stood outside my kennel talking to me, trying to get me to move. I just laid there and listened to him talk to me. I honestly thought that since the other people did not want then why would this man? Well, he bent down and just kept talking to me asking me if I wanted to go home. I did not move because I felt like no one wanted me. But this man just kept talking to me while it rained. He was getting wet and I finally moved a little closer to where he was but did not to look at him. He said, “I will be back for you little one” and he left. About 45 minutes went by and I was thinking he forgot about me. Then I heard him talking to a guy and the next thing I knew they were unlocking my door. I was shocked and relieved that I was not going to die in this shelter. I would not walk because I was scared. This man just picked me up and carried me to the car. He was so nice just telling me that everything would be okay. If he only knew how happy I was. But I was still very scared of everything.
We left in the car and he kept telling me that I was a good girl and that my life is going to be a great one. I remember the ride home, it took forever because of Southern California traffic. When we got home I was still in the crate and I did not get out. He let me stay in the car with the back open so I would get a lot of air. He brought me food and water and I ate a little bit, but just wanted to stay in the crate because that’s where I felt safe. He came out before he went to bed. I just wanted to sleep so he said goodnight.
The next morning he wanted me to go out and go to the bathroom. I finally got up and went with him but I kept laying down because I was still very scared. I finally went to the bathroom and was feeling much better. He fed me breakfast and I finally went inside the house to my crate. I was in the crate and all the dogs came up to the door and would look at me. I was developing a cough and he took me into the vet and it was determined that I had what they call kennel cough. I’m not sure what it was but it was pretty bad because I thought I was trying to cough up something all the time. So my foster dad made me a nice crate in the garage so I did not get anyone else sick. I was out there for a couple of days. Once I was on meds, it was okay to go back inside the house. It did not matter, I was too scared to get out anyway. I was very timid and my foster dad finally got me out of my crate so I could mingle with the other dogs. It was kind of fun being the center of their attention.
I heard my foster daddy talking to someone on the phone and telling my story to another foster home. I heard him say we can do it next week. I started to improve a lot and was feeling really good. I was still scared of a lot of things. My foster dad loaded me up and I went to Jami and Chuck’s house about an hour away. I remember I was scared to get out of the car but my foster daddy had me meet their three dogs and everything was fine. Even their dog, Kona, was really nice to me. I heard Jami say that it usually takes him a while to warm up to other dogs. My foster dad, Tom, said, “It’s because Kona knows Orissa is special.” They unloaded everything and I was happy to see they had a big back yard and I got to explore and check things out at my own pace. Kona showed me all the best sniffing spots and what was to become my favorite place, a big soft chair in the sun. I spent a lot of time in my crate those first few days. The door was left open, but it’s where I always felt safest. I surprised my foster mom when she took me for my walk. I didn’t need a pinch collar, I just walked right beside her. I was gaining confidence.
About a month later, I heard Jami talking to Tom. She said she thought I was ready. I wasn’t sure what I was ready for, but she sounded happy, so I figured I was ready for something good! It wasn’t long before I found out what I was ready for…a family wanted to adopt me! I went to meet them. They had two kids and a little dog. I was used to little dogs because of my foster brother, Jake. I know they like to think they are the boss, and this one wasn’t any different. The two kids pet me and took me for a walk. I really liked them.
The next day Jami sat me down and told me I was going to my forever home. I could tell she was sad and happy at the same time. Humans can be very confusing.
A week later we took a long ride to my new home. Tom, Jami and I arrived and my new family came out to greet us. I didn’t waste any time. I started running and playing with my new little brother and the kids thought we were really funny. Tom finalized the paperwork, it didn’t take long…and I was officially adopted! I remember how scared I was just a few months before. Now I know there is a lot of love out there, I just have to run up and grab it!