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| Franki ... Just Chillin' |
She was barely a year old when my rescue group, COLARS, took Franki in just over two years ago. She was pregnant and had been abandoned next to a dumpster behind a closed-up, rural bar-and-grill. A kind woman saw her and fed her for a couple of days until she learned about COLARS. Just two days after rescuing her, Franki gave birth to three puppies. After the pups were weaned and transferred to another rescue shelter for adoption, I went to visit her at her foster home.
At first, I hesitated about adopting her ... she was a bit wild and I was concerned that my older and partially disabled pooch, Ripley, might get hurt with such a rambunctious kid running around. So I went home without her, knowing that our rescue group would be careful about placing her in a new home. But I couldn't stop thinking about her. Not just because she was beautiful and unique-looking with those crystal blue eyes ... there was something special about Franki beyond her outward appearance. Even though she was unfocused and hyperactive during my visit with her, something kept tugging at my heart.
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Franki and Ripley, August 2012.
Cooling off after a hike in the woods. |
Two days later, I went back to her foster home and told her foster mom that I'd like to take Franki back to my house for a few hours to see how she'd do with my five dogs. I introduced her to them, one-by-one, in the front yard, waiting until both dogs had enough time to sniff each other out and calm down enough to get acquainted. Since Ripley was the oldest and most dominant dog, I introduced Franki to her first. Despite being very excited, Franki seemed to understand that Ripley's physical body was fragile and she kept a respectful distance.
Things continued to go well, and despite feeling cautious about a new, younger and very active dog trespassing on their turf, my dogs were generally accepting of Franki running around the yard. I was still unsure about whether this would be a good fit for everyone; but after watching Franki and the rest of the pack for a while outside, I decided to take her inside to see how she acted indoors.
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Morning Playtime, November 2012
Franki and Andie |
I was more than surprised. The instant Franki entered the house, she calmed down. I had expected her to become overly excited about being in another new environment, but she seemed to know intuitively that acting like a wild dog inside was unacceptable. I wondered if she had cued into the other dogs' relative calm and realized that this is how she was also expected to behave.
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| Waiting for a Birthday Treat |
To make a long story short, as the saying goes, I never took Franki back to her foster home. This was her new, forever home. She's been a blessing; pure joy! ... mixed with some occasional naughtiness, of course ... she's still a kid, after all.
Although I don't know her actual birth day, I decided that her homecoming date, would also be her birthday. So, yesterday, we celebrated Franki's third birthday and her second year of being Home.
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| Sammi, Cookie, Andie and Franki |
As a special treat, I shared some of my mother's homemade, world famous chocolate chip oatmeal cookies with her and the rest of the gang ... the dogs got none of the chocolate, of course; just the bites around the chips.
"I think dogs are the most amazing
creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for
being alive." ~Gilda Radner
