Finnegan, Begin Again
"I have what I believe is an Akita that was left chained to a tree....." was the first sentence I read upon opening my email. As I read on, Heather went on to say she found the dog left abandoned at the end of a chain, which had been wrapped around a tree just outside her apartment building. In talking to others, she thought he was an Akita. I emailed her and asked if she could describe him, as we tend to get a lot of pleas for help for what people think are Akitas, when in fact they are usually another breed with a curly tail. As we exchanged emails, Heather described his coloring, approx. size and weight. Much to my surprise, a lost Akita post had been forwarded to me about a missing Akita almost perfectly matching his description in the same general area. I thought for sure, this was the same dog. Everything matched, right down to the brindle markings and white socks, it had to be the same dog.
Soon after, I received Heather's pictures and sadly, it was only a coincidence this dog matched the description but it was NOT the same dog, and the owners of the lost Akita had been reunited with their dog. My heart sank.
Unbeknownst to me, this would be the beginning of a tale of human compassion, friendship, commitment, emotion, devotion and love.
 Pictured here from left to right are Heather, Mona, Bear (aka Finnegan), and Jerry. This is their story from a rescuer's point of view. Ask any of them and none would consider what they did heroic or extraordinary. However, we wanted people to know their story, as what they did epitomizes human compassion in its purest form.
On this summer morning when Heather happened upon a dirty, neglected Akita chained to a tree, no one knew that the lives of four individuals and one Akita would be changed forever.
After Heather discovered the dog, being the take charge person she is, she immediately untied him and took him inside her apartment. I advised Heather to be cautious, but if she could get him to a vet to be scanned for a microchip, we might be able to find out if he had an owner. Perhaps he'd been stolen. Unfortunately, (or fortunately), no chip was to be found. In the meantime, Heather gave him food and water until something more permanent could be arranged. Heather and I communicated via email, trying to figure out some alternatives. I found her to have an uncanny knack for communicating with dogs and being quite a natural at understanding how to make this boy trust her.
Unfortunately, Heather's neighbors were not as understanding about having a large dog in the complex. Bear (as she so fondly referred to him), had to find another place to go. Heather reached out to her friend and co-worker Mona, who had a home with a large yard. Mona agreed to take Bear for a short time until other arrangements could be made. Mona had never owned dogs before and soon became a Dog Whisperer in her own right! She was dog walker, dog feeder, dog playmate, and all things dog! Mona's roommate, Jerry, also got involved. Jerry soon participated in taking Bear for his daily morning walks and feeding him his breakfast meals. Heather would continue to drive to Mona's as often as she could after work and walk and play with Bear until the late hours, when she finally had to go home to care for her own kitties. Weeks, then months had passed, and no one had come looking for this dog.
 I spoke with Heather, and agreed to come meet Bear to evaluate him. Since some time had passed from when he was first found, he was feeling much more settled and was enjoying his new routine and human counterparts. When I arrived to meet Heather, she greeted me and took me to Mona's backyard. There was Bear, a stunning, athletic, silver and black brindle Akita. The tops of his ears had been eaten away by flies and his coat was brittle and showing signs of poor nutrition and neglect. But underneath it all, he was active and happy. Heather showed me how he loved to play with his stuffed frog and roll on his back in the grass. This was pure joy at it's best, and I got the feeling toys and fun had never before been a part of his life. Bear had definitely seen hard times. I came armed with some supplements and a bottle of sweet smelling shampoo! Heather and I quickly got down to business and slathered him in the sweet smelling stuff. After the initial shock, he seemed to enjoy the rubbing and massaging. We were sure it was the only bath he'd ever had in his entire life.
After that was done, Heather and I sat and she told me about Bear and what his daily routine was. I was stunned as I recalled that Mona knew nothing about dogs, and yet she and Jerry were successfully fostering this dog, taking care of his every need, learning as they went and not without challenges, mind you! Bear escaped the yard one afternoon and was picked up by the local animal control. Luckily Mona and Heather knew where to look for him, and bailed him out. Then there was the $200.00 emergency vet visit when Bear hurt his leg. Heather found herself in the emergency clinic with Bear at 10:00 at night! If they were going to throw in the towel, that would have been the time. However, these friends stuck by Bear without missing a beat. They never gave up on him, never waivered. With Heather's help and canine insight, the three of them managed to create a home environment for Bear that enabled him to trust them and enjoy being in their company. They gave Bear everything he could want, but sadly for the three of them the only thing they could not give him was a permanent home.
I offered to post Bear to our website and help in finding him the home he deserved. Bear, being about 5 years old, would be competing with other younger Akitas, some puppies, and the heart wrenching, well publicized Palmdale Akitas. He would have to hold his own.
Over time, Heather emailed me wondering if there had been any inquiries about Bear, and I told her it would take time, that you just never know when the right adopters will come along. A couple weeks went by, and then two days before Thanksgiving, I received an email from Alex and Lisa inquiring about Bear! At the time, we had 3 Akitas named Bear posted on our site. I slowly read their words and was ecstatic when I discovered they were talking about THIS Bear!  I tried not to get overly optimistic just yet, but I could hardly wait to let Heather and Mona know the encouraging news! Alex explained that he and Lisa lived in Nevada and had recently lost their senior Akita, which they had adopted a couple years ago when he was eight years old (chalk up points for adopting a senior dog!!). Prior to that they had lost their female Akita and their home was not the same without either one. Alex's email was filled with details about their life with their Akitas, and as I read each sentence, the lifelong commitment they made to their companions spilled out in each paragraph. I held my breath as deep inside I felt they would be wonderful adopters for Bear. After a couple emails between us, I explained Bear's situation with Heather and Mona, and hoped I would hear back from Alex. Much to my surprise, I booted up my computer on Thanksgiving morning to find another email from Alex! I thought anyone that's on the computer on Thanksgiving day, willing to continue our dialog about adopting, was a special individual!
I was honest with Alex and Lisa about Bear's rough past, having been abandoned, and neglected. We didn't know if Bear was house trained or whether or not he would be able to peacefully co-exist with their cat. I felt this might be the deal breaker if there was going to be one. That would have scared off most people, but Alex and Lisa felt Bear was worth meeting and they were well aware that adopting an older dog that had been neglected and untrained, could require some work. Alex spoke with Heather and both felt confident, this would be a great match.
We agreed on a day for he and Lisa to come to the Bay Area to meet Bear and his caregivers. The anticipation was exciting to all of us. As the day drew near, I learned that Alex had been rear-ended by a drunk driver days before they were to come down. Fortunately, Alex was not injured, however his SUV could not be driven. That did not thwart Alex and Lisa's plans to come meet Bear. Alex decided to rent an SUV so if all worked out, Bear would have plenty of room for the long drive home. Again, where do people like this come from??!!! How many people would go through this much effort to adopt a dog? Answer: People that deserve a dog as wonderful as they are.
That eventful Saturday arrived, and I rang the doorbell to Mona's house. This was the first time I would meet Mona and Jerry. I was taken aback by these two, as it was apparent that Bear was a huge part of their daily lives and his presence there was as normal as any other "dog owned family". They cared for him, loved him, and it was as if he had been there all his life. Bear seemed quite happy that day, and I'm sure he sensed the excitement in the air! Soon Alex and Lisa arrived, and Heather followed shortly after.
 Alex and Lisa entered the backyard and were greeted warmly by Bear! He was entertaining us with his antics and he showed them how much he loved his treats!! After interacting with Bear, and spending some time getting acquainted, they took him for a jaunt around the neighborhood. When they returned, they seemed quite taken with Bear, and he responded in kind!
By now, Mona's boyfriend Charles, had arrived to see Bear possibly for one last time. I had no idea how much a part of Bear's life, he'd become also! This was the first time I had seen each of them interact with Bear. As I stood back and watched, it was apparent that Bear had been well cared for and loved by this incredible group of friends, and it was obvious he loved them in return. I felt extremely fortunate to be in the midst of such extraordinary, caring individuals. Each of them spent time with Bear, petting him and sharing a special moment with him.
  
When I asked Alex and Lisa what they thought of Bear, they both said they wanted to take him home! Often times we tell adopters that even though we might feel it's a perfect match, the one that makes the final decision is the dog. It doesn't happen often, but sometimes the dog doesn't feel connected to the potential adopters for whatever reason. Bear seemed to know that life with Lisa and Alex would be wonderful. As we finished up the details, Lisa shared with me that before they saw Bear on our website, they had put in an application with Mastiff rescue.  We helped load up Bear's belongings and Bear seemed excited to embark on a new adventure! He jumped in the back and his expression said it all. He was happy about the journey ahead, but he seemed to know that those that loved him and cared for him were feeling bittersweet at the thought of him leaving. I knew that his ability to take this huge step was only because this team of people enabled him to heal and trust. He seemed to know it and he too, seemed happy but a little sad to be leaving. There was a great deal of emotion in the air, but everyone felt truly happy that Bear had found his forever home, at last.  Bear's eyes sparkled and he was smiling and excited. Alex and Lisa thanked Mona, Jerry, Heather and Charles for paving the path for Bear to follow in. As they pulled out of the driveway, they waved good-bye and Bear's human pack waved good-bye. We all smiled at the thought of Bear dancing in the winter snow that would soon be on the ground in the yard of his new home! He would be HOME for the holidays!
As a side note, Mona and Charles may be adopting a rescued Greyhound!!
Heather received her early Christmas gift, and that was for Bear to find his forever home.
And Jerry...well, Jerry may be helping to take care of that adopted Greyhound!
Alex reported they renamed Bear, Finnegan (aka Finn), and he was doing well and adjusting wonderfully to his new life. The last comment Alex wrote in his email was, "This dog is a gem!"
So, Finnegan......begin (anew) again!
(*As of this writing, Alex informed me that Mastiff Rescue contacted them in receipt of their adoption application. For some strange reason, their application had just arrived. It had been lost in the mail all this time. Coincidence or fate?!)
 
  
Home at last....
|
