Maya, then and now

It seems like she's been with us always, but it's really just five years since we've had Maya. She was thought to be between one and two years old at the time.

It was February 3, 2013 that I first wrote about Maya.   First Maya Post

On February 7, 2013, I wrote that she was slowly become more socialized:  Second Maya Post

On February 11, 2013, I wrote about her escape and disappearance:  Third Maya Post

On February 18, 2013, I wrote about moving on, thinking I'd never see her again: Fourth Maya Post

Finally, on March 10, 2013, she was back home, although her future was still far from certain: Fifth Maya Post

It soon became obvious just how smart she
was and how agile she was. She was virtually
impossible to contain if she wanted out.

I've obviously written about Maya many other times in the past five years. Often enough that when we are out in public we sometimes run into someone who knows her name even though she doesn't know them. It kind of freaks her out.

This was the first time she came to me on her own accord.

It seems strange to think of her as that scrawny, scared little girl. A lot has changed in five years. She has more gray hair now, and I do too, and I attribute all of mine to stress and worry about her.

When we finally got her back, she had actually managed to put
on some weight, scavenging trash and probably hunting.
The girl has mad survival skills.

Trooper was her first love and her security blanket.
I think he's the reason she decided to stay with us.

What Trooper did for Maya could never be repaid. It was the sort of gift that a parent gives a child. A gift of the purest form of charity. A gift of kindness that has immeasurable valuable to the recipient. That sort of debt can never be repaid, but Maya has now paid it forward by doing for Lenny what Trooper did for her.

Maya has always been ok with incoming foster dogs, but I think she's actually come to understand what we do here. She's been with me when we pick up new dogs and when we adopt them out. Lenny is the first dog that she's really taken an active role with and he has really benefited from her attention and guidance. She is his security blanket and I think she understands that and knows that he needs it. She also enjoys the play. It's good for her, but it's invaluable to him.