“Emma” opens a new chapter

In November, our beloved dog of eight and a half years, Hershey, had to be put to sleep because he lost his battle with acute autoimmune hemolytic anemia. It was sudden, devastating and ultimately destructive.

A few weeks after his passing, my husband Joe and I were still in so much pain. I was having trouble getting out of bed to go to work. I’d see a photo of Hershey or be reminded of him greeting me at the door after work, and it was almost more than I could bear. He was such an integral part of our lives.

I was looking at the Parke Vermillion County Humane Shelter website, to see if I could go visit or walk a dog that they might need a volunteer to work with. I was nowhere ready to give my heart to another dog, and was giving extra cuddles to our three cats, Oliver, Raja and Gracie.

I saw “Auntie Em” on the website. She was cream colored and, I discovered through a bit of research, she was one of six dogs from a hoarding situation. None of the dogs had been socialized and all were incredibly fearful of people. Auntie Em was being overlooked for adoption because she would stay at the back of her run at the shelter, and emit a low growl, discouraging anyone from getting closer. She was mostly all talk.

I visited the shelter and offered to “sponsor” her. I paid her adoption fee and hoped that that would encourage someone to adopt her and give her a chance. I asked to meet her in a room for a few minutes, just to see if I could give her a bit of love. She paced and stood up, looking out the room’s window, waiting for someone to come rescue her. She couldn’t have cared less about me.

The shelter manager, Brenda, mentioned that “fostering” Auntie Em was an option. The shelter would give us a crate, food, provide any medical care, etc., and we would take her home and socialize her. Help her to become more adoptable. Sounds easy, right? I talked with Joe and he was amenable to socializing her, to help her get adopted.

Three weeks later, I had fallen in love with Emma, as we now called her. This condition is known as being a “foster fail” – a not-so-rare but fatal disease known as falling in love with the dog you are fostering.

She is not a dream dog by any means. She likes me, and she likes Joe, but she doesn’t like when we are together. And, she only objects when we are in the bedroom (and she is under the bed, like an alligator awaiting prey) or the kitchen.

We’re still working through some “behavioral” issues and we’ve even consulted a trainer. She is smart and is catching on to many things. She likes husband Joe much better, especially because he gives her special Ritz Crackers with Peanut Butter filling.

She gives me hugs and chases the cats. Raja, whose best friend in the world was Hershey, does not understand Emma’s irrational behavior. Raja used to meow and Hershey and she would work together against evil squirrels and other “vermin” who steal food from the birds. Raja doesn’t understand why Emma is oblivious to these outside enemies and is sure that we will soon become unwitting victims.

Emma thinks Raja is an underweight dog who won’t play with her. I guess we all have our baggage, right?