Leaps of Faith

Rugger was adopted today. My first blog post about him was March 23, 2018, so he's been here about five months. Sending him to a new home today was good, but coming home without him was tough.

If Rugger had an email address, I'd send him this letter this evening:

I picked you up from the shelter, a complete stranger to you.
After only a few minutes together, you looked directly into my eyes and took the measure of my dog-loving soul. Then you hopped willingly into my van immediately taking a leap of faith, the type that only a dog is capable of. Faith that I would do right by you, share my home, share my heart.

You trusted me through baths and vet appointments. You trusted me when we went new places, met new dogs and new people. You trusted me with all your shepherd heart and you made your way into my heart and settled down in there just as you had in our home.

Today I need you to trust me one last time. Today is the day you didn't know you were waiting for. We did our morning hike and then went for a ride as we often do. We met a new person who will be your person from this point on. I need you to take another leap of faith and give yourself to this person. I've been looking for this person for months and I promise that she is worthy of your shepherd love and devotion.

I drove home alone today, blinking away the tears. My right eye crying from a selfish sense of loss, thinking how much I have loved you and learned from you over the past five months. My left eye cries in fear that you will feel abandonment after giving yourself so fully and faithfully to me for so long. I hope that you will forget me now, go on with your life and remember these months only in vague, warm, fuzzy thoughts.

It was only a few days after you arrived here that you began to look at me as if I was the best thing to come along since canned dog food. I hope and trust that you will take this last leap of faith with me and do it again, and I believe that you will, because you are a shepherd.

Rugger in early spring when he first arrived. His belly was still
mostly hairless, as were the circles around his eyes, although he
had already recovered greatly during his months in the shelter.

When Rugger left he had a new fur coat, the missing hair had completely
filled in around his eyes and even the bare spots on his underside were now
growing fur. He had gained weight and I think, a new outlook on life.

The Essential Rugger

A compendium of posts featuring Rugger

March 23, 2018, Rugger: https://vadogrescue.blogspot.com/2018/03/rugger.html

March 26, 2018, Rugger Walks: https://vadogrescue.blogspot.com/2018/03/rugger-walks.html
March 27, 2018, Because He's a Shepherd: https://vadogrescue.blogspot.com/2018/03/because-hes-shepherd.html
March 29, 2018, Rugger and Axel: https://vadogrescue.blogspot.com/2018/03/rugger-and-axel.html
April 3, 2018: Rugger Roo: https://vadogrescue.blogspot.com/2018/04/rugger-roo.html
April 18, 2018: Fun in the Sun: https://vadogrescue.blogspot.com/2018/04/fun-in-sun.html
May 10, 2018: Spring Turns to Summer: https://vadogrescue.blogspot.com/2018/05/spring-turns-to-summer.html
June 23, 2018: The Golden Hour: https://vadogrescue.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-golden-hour.html
June 30, 2018: Bath Time, Play Time: https://vadogrescue.blogspot.com/2018/06/bath-time-play-time.html
July 4, 2018: Rugger with Cat and Vet: https://vadogrescue.blogspot.com/2018/07/rugger-with-cat-and-vet.html
July 13, 2018: Rugger's Day: https://vadogrescue.blogspot.com/2018/07/ruggers-day.html
July 15, 2018: A Different Perspective on the Day: https://vadogrescue.blogspot.com/2018/07/a-different-perspective-on-day.html
August 19, 2018: Helper Dogs: https://vadogrescue.blogspot.com/2018/08/helper-dogs.html
August 20, 2018: Rugger: Prospective Adoption: https://vadogrescue.blogspot.com/2018/08/rugger-prospective-adoption.html