Who Rescued Whom, Zooey’s Story

The world was already turned upside-down thanks to COVID-19. Two weeks ago, I never would have predicted that the second week of homeschooling would leave us learning Veterinary Medicine. But I’m forever thankful for that extra week at home with Zooey, our rescue who actually rescued us.

Zooey and our “Accidental” rescue

It was Super Bowl Weekend 2015, and the Tacoma Humane Society was advertising a special: “Get 12% off your adoption fee if you wear Seahawks colors”. The girls and I had just moved into our home at Christmas, and our four walls were a bit lonely. At Emi’s urging (ya’ll know four year old’s are convincing) we decided to go “just look” at what pups were available for adoption.

As we walked through the kennels, most of the pups were right next to their doors with tails wagging and eager to meet potential parents. There was one dog, hunkered in the back of her kennel, that growled at Emi as she knelt down to coax her near us. Obviously, this wasn’t going to be our dog, so we moved on. We found one that we were interested in meeting and waited for an adoption coordinator to meet with us.

While meeting with the adoption coordinator, she asked me a ton of questions. Upon learning I was a single mom, the adoption coordinator announced the dog we wanted to meet wasn’t suitable, but she had the perfect dog for us. She just needed to get authorization to let us meet and adopt her, since she’d just been spayed. We headed back to a room to wait.

Low and behold, the adoption coordinator walked back in with the dog who’d been hunkered in the back of her kennel, growling at my four year old. But when she walked in, her eyes were bright and her tail wagged… as if she was a completely different dog. We spent an hour with her, and she was so gentle with both Emi and infant Gracie. When Gracie would cry, Zooey would go over next to the car seat as if to say “it’s ok. I’m here.” It took a few hours for all the authorizations to adopt her, but we learned that she’d been dropped off that Friday after her owner had passed away. Sadly, the family who dropped her off kept her 4 week old puppies. You can imagine the terror and heartbreak this poor girl was feeling. My heart broke and I refused to leave her again.

On a Five Year Loan

Zooey was a dream when you consider the risk associated with adoption. We didn’t know much about her history, but have a few suspicions. She loved to “track” animals and scents when we would go camping and “hike” through the campground trails. She wasn’t a fan of most men, but the few she loved, she really loved. When she was in the house, she was constantly at your feet or snuggled up with you on the couch. She loved snacks, ripping toys apart to get the stuffing, and stealing your food… no matter what you were eating. If she wasn’t sleeping with us in bed (or my kids in their bed), she was cozy in our big red chair or on the couch.

Zooey arrived in our lives at a time I was giving up on companionship as a whole. She became the ultimate companion and filled a void. I stopped looking to others to fill that spot, and instead let her save me this time. She got a second chance at life and at motherhood when Zeusifer joined our family. She was our favorite friend and fierce protector. NO ONE entered her house without her permission. You didn’t need to worry about the pittbull in the backyard, it was the chocolate lab you should be ware of.

When we adopted her, she was 3.5 years old. I honestly expected to have a good 10 years with our girl. When you adopt though, it’s impossible to know a pet’s history. She always seemed so happy and healthy, with only a few minor blips in the past five years. There were times she would stop eating, and we always figured she was bored with her food. She was easily enticed with a chicken breast and rice, or a simple change of flavor. But on Friday, March 20th, she began to refuse everything. We managed to convince her to eat some chicken Saturday morning, but that same night we were rushing her to the ER.

By Sunday morning we learned Zooey seems to have been fighting kidney disease for at least a few years. Her body was managing the disease without us seeing symptoms until it couldn’t anymore. By then it was too late and extreme measures would leave her with a low quality of life. As many may know, I originally wanted to be a veterinarian, until I learned about having to euthanize beloved pets. Even I know, when quality of life isn’t there, you have to say goodbye even if you’re not ready.

Across the rainbow bridge

If you’re reading this, Zooey is already home. We’ll be guiding her across the rainbow bridge at 4:00 today, the same time this post is set to go live. There is not a single fiber of my being that’s ready for this moment, though I suppose we’re never actually ready. Zooey was a gift from God, in a time of need, but he’s calling her home. She’ll pass peacefully surrounded by her family. Lord knows, we love her very much, and will continue to love her… Always.