A second chance at life: The three month transformation of Rita Ballou

On Sunday, April 10th, my boyfriend Jeff & I set out to look for a puppy.  We had discussed getting a puppy for quite some time, but we had yet to visit any shelters.  We knew we wanted a rescue dog (with so many dogs already out there that need homes, how can anyone buy from a breeder?) We briefly stopped by the Oregon Humane Society, but were underwhelmed with the selection of pets available and overwhelmed by the crowds, so we drove across town to the Oregon Dog Rescue.

We waited by the door for the volunteer to re-open the center, and were quickly ushered in with several other people. We told them that we were there to adopt a puppy.  The lady quickly scanned her list, and told us that they currently didn't have any puppies IN house, but if we came back in a couple of weeks they would have several puppies available.  In the meantime, she said, we were welcome to browse the photos of the pets listed on their wall to see if we wanted to meet any of them.

Our eyes scrolled over the 50+ photos of pets waiting to be adopted, and we noticed a cute little black dog on the roster named Jewel.  She was only 5 months old (which was certainly puppy enough for us).  We decided to give it a shot and asked to view her.  They put us in a meeting room area and asked us to wait while they retrieved her.

When they brought her in, it certainly wasn't love at first sight.  She was anxious, running and pawing all over the place.  She was hardly interest in us at all.  She was obsessed with any other dog or cat that passed by our room and would bark incessantly.  She refused to play with us.  However, she was sweet.  There was something there.  And she was as cute as a puppy could be.  After a few minutes of letting her wander around, we tried engaging with her more.  It was around that time that I decided to go for it - I swooped her up and cradled her in my arms, like a baby.  Most dogs HATE that.  But she just laid there - passively - letting me hold her, not moving a muscle.  She seemed so content. And in that moment, I felt like there was something more to this dog and that we needed to get to know her more.

The Oregon Dog Rescue had only had her for two days, but they informed us that she was leash aggressive.  Apparently, the day before they had brought her to PetSmart to meet people and potentially be adopted, but her leash aggression had been turning people away.  I instantly thought that this was a result of her environment and history.  Before coming to Oregon, she was found as a stray in Lancaster County, in Los Angeles, at 4 months of age.  She spent one month at a high kill shelter in California, and was then transferred up to Portland by a non-profit that rescues dogs from California (apparently 87% of shelter dogs are EUTHANIZED in California, compared to the 92% that are adopted in Oregon...a staggering statistic I discovered during our visit). It's unrealistic to expect that she didn't already experience some major trauma in her life...

So, seeing some bright moments during our visit, and wanting to see her out of the shelter environment, we asked if we could take her on a quick walk outside.  I turned in my car keys in exchange for a leash, and we exited the building.  We passed other dogs on our walk - other dogs that were going CRAZY and pulling on their leashes, but our pup remained calm and kept walking.  We walked by a field with some geese, and she just sat down and calmly watched them interact.  She was the most mellow puppy I had ever been around - and Jeff too.

We spent a lot of time with her outside.  Time holding her.  Time walking her. Time trying to get her to do tricks.  And then, the debate came.  Should we get her?  Would she be a good dog?  She was the FIRST dog we'd met - AT ALL. Was it a good idea to adopt the first dog you meet?  Were we REALLY ready for a dog after all?!

When it came down to it, the question that sealed the deal was this: If we walked away, and then decided we wanted to return to adopt her, and she was already adopted...would we be sad?  And we both answered with a resounding YES.  And, that was it.  We took the plunge, signed the papers, made a brief stop at PetSmart and were on our way home with a new family member....who we re-named, Rita.

We are now three months post-adoption and we both feel like Rita is one of the best things that has ever happened to us.  When we first adopted her, she was not leash aggressive, but rather terrified of most dogs.  When a dog would approach, she would cower, lower her head and put her tail between her legs. She now, most of the time, walks confidently and approaches and plays with other dogs.  Rita can now swim, sit, lay, shake, high five, give kisses and roll over. She loves hiking. She has a best friend next door named Wilson (a five year old Australian Shepard) that she plays with daily. She used to be afraid to leave the house - dreading where her next destination would be and if we were going to return her to another shelter.  She now happily jumps into the back of our cars, eager for her next adventure.  And the biggest change of all?  Her affection.  A once shy, cautious, uncertain dog who had been hurt and abandoned realized after about a month of care that we weren't going anywhere...and she opened her heart to us fully.  She is the most cuddly, playful, endearing dog that either of us have ever owned...and we can't imagine our lives without her.

Why am I telling you this story?  Because Rita really taught me several lessons in the past three months that I feel are important to share.  She taught me to be patient...that growth takes time.  She taught me to be observant of my surroundings, and who I surround myself with.  But most of all, she taught me to forgive and that anyone can learn to love again.  Her broken soul took time to trust again, but once she did, it was nothing but gold.  We are so lucky that you found us, Rita Ballou....

If you live in Portland and are interested in adopting a dog, please check out the Oregon Dog Rescue's website: www.oregondogrescue.org

And now, a few pics of our sweet girl <3

Jeff with Rita on the day we adopted her

Her first week at our house, getting used to the backyard

Happy at the dog park

Rita's first trip to the beach

Bend & stretch!

Sunday rambles

Rita & her buddy Wilson, taking a break from playing on our front porch

Learning to swim & fetch! On the Deschutes

Soaking up the sun in Eastern Oregon

4th of July fun!

Family cuddles in our tent (aaaannndddd...this might have been how we slept too....for 5 nights....)

Rita sleeping on me, her mom

Rita & her Dad, her first excursion on the boat

Happy New You!

Happy New Year Family & Friends!  2016 is here...and its going to be here for a while...so you better get used to it :)  Hopefully you're feeling as optimistic about all that the New Year could possibly offer as I am.

So...what is it about a new year that gets everybody so excited?  It's certainly not the painful task of needing to remember to change the date on every check or paper you write, and I'm convinced it doesn't circulate around the looming, approaching tax season.  So what is it? From what I can tell, the appeal of a new year to most people is the idea of a fresh start.  The chance to put the past behind you and become a NEW you. Maybe a better version of you?  Maybe become the YOU you've always wanted to be....

I make resolutions every year, just like a lot of us do.  Usually not many.  Like, every year for as many years as I can remember, I've vowed to floss more (I'm really bad at it and don't do it as often as I should). I usually start out strong during the first part of the year, doing it every day (sometimes even twice a day), and then the flossing starts to dwindle as the months roll on. And then there's the traditional "eat healthier/exercise more" goal that I think most people on the resolution bandwagon adhere to.  That's certainly on the list this year again too, but again, past years have shown that as the year progresses, my goals and resolutions slowly fade out of sight. And that's discouraging and disappointing. And, after asking around, I've learned that I'm not the only one that this happens to.  So, that made me think: WHY do we even make resolutions and WHY do we continue to do it year after year if we know that we're just going to fail and give up after a while?

I was pondering this question the other night in bed while reading "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin, and I came across a passage that really stuck with me that she quoted from the book "Happiness" by William Butler Yeats: "is neither virtue nor pleasure nor this thing nor that, but simply growth. We are happy when we are growing". And Rubin concluded that "contemporary researchers make the same argument: that it isn't goal attainment, but the process of striving after goals - that is, growth - that brings happiness".

And that really struck a chord with me. I absolutely believe that GROWTH is an essential key to greater happiness.  It made me think back on moments in my life when I was happiest, and all of them have contained substantial growth. For example, many of my happiest moments have been while I have been traveling, which is certainly a time when you go through lots of growth and change.  You are learning SO much when you are traveling: possibly another language, how to live in a new environment, co-exist in a new culture, how to cook and eat new foods you've never seen before, possibly co-exist in tight quarters with other travelers and you are learning many new things about who you are as a person, too.  I've also thought back on my career and the various jobs I've had, and I've certainly been happiest in the ones where I've been challenged the most, and have had the most opportunity to advance myself both personally and professionally.

So after having that revelation, I decided that New Years resolutions aren't such a bad thing after all, and have made a few 2016 New Years resolutions for myself.  Not with the intention of giving up...I KNOW that that is never the intention when setting a goal, but also knowing that I don't have to necessarily finish or reach any finish line with my goals. My overall goal is to GROW.  If I don't floss every day for the rest of this year...so what?  At least I will be flossing MORE than I was last year, and that's a great start.  So, without further adieu, here are my growth & happiness goals for 2016:

-Exercise more: I want to immerse myself in Yoga, which gives me balance, introspection and inner peace, and pushes me to become more flexible, stronger, and all around more grounded and fit.
-Drink less booze: I don't want to drink out of boredom or "just because", but drink only on certain occasions or when I want to celebrate.  I'll use my downtime now instead to work towards new career goals or to work on current or new crafts or music (specifically the piano and ukulele)
-Drink more water:  I never drink enough. Always a challenge :)
-Get outside more: I am happier and more inspired when I spend more time outside in nature, away from my digital devices.  Take even more time this year to unplug.
-Read more: Always a struggle for me.  Go to bed an hour early a couple times a week, and take the time to read.
-Volunteer more/help others: I re-joined Rotary in October 2015, and am now a member of the East Portland Rotary club.  My goal through Rotary is to become more involved and connected to my community and volunteer more of my time to people who need it.
-Kindness & compassion first: Try to understand where other people are coming from and THEIR story before you make assumptions, come to conclusions and react to them.
-Listen better: I hate to admit it, but sometime with all of the ideas and "to dos" rushing through my head throughout the day, I forget to really focus in and pay attention to what people are saying.  Not all the time, but sometimes.  Make an effort to close off my own thoughts and focus attention on others while they're talking and sharing their story. It's an important one.
-Last but not least, start each day with an open heart: Put the day before behind you, and start fresh.

Doesn't sound too hard, right?....wish me luck!  And whether you have a blog or a piece of paper, I encourage YOU to write down a few GROWTH goals for yourself. They don't have to be New Years goals....but rather life goals. What are some things you want for yourself? What makes YOU happiest, and what would you like to do more of this year?