By Sara R.
My journey with Manitoba Mutts is just beginning, but I wanted to share my story anyways, because meeting Milo has been life changing for me.
Our family shared seven years with a beautiful border collie named Freddy. He was loving and smart. Freddy loved learning new tricks, he was my best friend and I was his person. When he was three, something happened (we later learned he had had a stroke) and Freddy got very sick. We had him tested for what we thought was everything, and found very little. He recovered, but he was never quite the same dog, and while 95% of the time, he was just Freddy, loyal and loving and rooted by my side, he would have these “episodes” – he went into a rage and was completely uncontrollable. They worsened over the next four years, became more frequent. There was no warning, he would go from calm one minute to cornering one of us the next, and then he started to attack. I bear many scars from Freddy, because I wanted to try EVERYTHING before I would accept that I could not help him. It was a rescue shelter for border collies that helped lead me to the dreaded answer, Freddy had a brain tumor. When Freddy would attack us he would not eat for days…he was whiny and moped. When we knew what it was, we had no choice, our Freddy was suffering. The day he died was the worst day of my life and even months later; I could not get past the grief.
My husband came to the conclusion that it was time for another dog - he knew before I did how much I needed it. He wrote to Manitoba Mutts with what he thought would suit our family… a young very pregnant Shipoo had been brought in, and we could meet her to see if we might be interested in one of her pups. We walked in and Milo (then Harlo) was petrified. She was shaking and my heart reached out. I needed to give this dog a home! I spoke to her, and her tail moved, a little wag that made her mine! We decided that day to adopt Milo and one of the pups (who we would name Otis, why? Because that’s just cute!)
We were not able to bring Milo home that day, as she was due in the next two weeks, in addition she had some medical issues from her previous life that needed to be resolved. Our Milo gave birth to seven puppies, just after Christmas! The countdown to her homecoming begins!
Manitoba Mutts has made this journey with Milo a joy, we have been allowed to get to know Milo through visits, and we love her SO much! She has become very comfortable with us, bonds more each visit, and “claims” us a little around her foster brother, Bonzai! Last visit, I had a wonderful snuggle with one of her beautiful boys, while Milo sat contently on my husband’s lap, gently wrapping him around her little paw!
Our story continues, as Milo will be coming home soon – in about three weeks, and Otis will follow two weeks later. Our journey is just beginning, but has changed my life! Thank you MMDR for bringing a light back to my heart!
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| Milo |
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| Otis |
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| Freddy |
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