Super Adventurama!: 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