Dogs Fill a Void
Of course we love all of our adoptions! There is no better feeling in rescue work than to see one of your much loved dogs leave the Ranch for a happy, forever home. But few adoptions have been as special to me as when our Brody found his home three years ago.
When my husband, Matt, and I moved Lakeside 10 years ago, the first friends we made were Vern and Kathleen. Matt met Vern the first day he played golf here and Vern quickly welcomed him into his golf group. It wasn’t long before I met Kathleen and I loved her immediately. But tragically, we lost Vern four years ago and that loss broke so many hearts. But Kathleen is one strong woman. She had always been busy with theater and choir, but now she had a huge void to try and fill and she wanted even more activities to help her mend. Lucky for us, she decided to volunteer at The Ranch once a week.
About that time we had a four-month old pup abandoned at The Ranch that was absolutely gorgeous. We named him Brody and all of us doted on him, none more than Kathleen. I really didn’t think Kathleen had any plans to adopt a dog as she already had a sweet, blind senior at home - but the time and attention she gave to Brody soon made me wonder if adoption was a possibility. She eventually came to me and confided that she was thinking of bringing Brody home. What I didn’t realize was that Brody had come to The Ranch on a day that was particularly difficult for Kathleen - the day of her first wedding anniversary since Vern passed away. Well, then it all made sense.
We talked about what size Brody would be - I thought medium (he’s now 70 pounds! - boy did I miss on that one), if he would shed a lot (but what’s a little dog hair). Kathleen took Brody home and it was pretty much an immediate success. He’s a smart gentle dog and quickly learned how to behave in a home and was gentle with Gracie, Kathleen’s older dog.
Two years ago, Kathleen decided her time Lakeside had come to an end. There was no doubt that she would take Brody with her to Chicago. We helped her with his flight arrangements and before long Brody stepped out of the airport and into the shock of his first Chicago winter! But Brody, just like Kathleen, is resilient and he quickly adapted and even learned to love the cold winters.
Happily I was able to visit Kathleen and Brody last month and oh my, this dog is gorgeous. He is so sweet, polite and content. And he is a wonderful companion to Kathleen. I am so happy that Kathleen and Brody found each other, and just when they each needed someone to love and adore.