"Invisible threads are the strongest ties."

It was just another Saturday in the life of Emily... and for some reason... I didn't have to work, I didn't have a K9 Justice League adoption event to attend, and I didn't even have any Tidewater Dock Dogs commitments.  That's a first!  Don't get me wrong - I love my job, I love the rescue, and I love dock dogs!  But for me to have a free day?  That's just strange.  Naturally, I offered to help another shelter set up at Petsmart and handle and hang out with their adoptable dogs and cats for some of the day.  PAWS of Hertford County is a shelter I hold near and is dear to my heart.  Not only has K9JL worked closely with them to transfer dogs from the PAWS shelter to our rescue, but they are also the reason that my sweet Lyla and her siblings ever found their way to myself and their other adopters.  Some of my favorite foster dogs have been from PAWS!

I already had a foster dog... and little did I know... I'd have another unexpected foster join my life about a month later.  My three-legged girl, Lucille, spent a little over 3 months with me.  It baffled me as to why she wasn't adopted sooner.  I suppose the whole "tripod image" threw some people off.  I'm not sure why... because Lucille could outrun ALL of my dogs.  She was house trained, good with dogs, good with cats, and had looks to kill.  People fell in love with her through my pictures of her... but nobody actually put an application in on her.  It wasn't until our Petco adoption event... at a location that we only visit once every couple months... that a married pair walked in the store and looked at Lucille as if they had come to the store specifically to see her.  Apparently... they had.  They saw through Lucille's nervous nature and put in the paperwork that day!  Within the week, Lucille was living happily in her forever home with her new parents and her THREE dog siblings!  Lucille waited so long to find that perfect family, and over 3 months later, it finally happened.  She found her PERFECT match.  It was the first adoption that I actually cried in front of the family.  All of my foster dogs are special... but Lucille taught me a lot about loving life in spite of her "disability"... if you can even call it that.

At some point, though, when Lucille was still a part of my life... and Peaches wasn't part of it yet... I met Hallie.  She was there at the PAWS adoption event at Petsmart to "socialize".  This was probably 3-4 months ago.  She had some treats outside of her crate for people to offer her.  She was hesitant about taking treats from people, and she was huddled in the back of her crate.  I'm a sucker for the shy dogs... and as I chatted with a PAWS volunteer tonight, I realized that maybe I'm such a sucker for the shy dogs... because I used to be painfully shy myself.  I know how it feels to be in a new situation and simply want to shut down.  I know how scared they are... how much they wish that they could just be invisible.  So I sat in front of Hallie's crate and offered her treat after treat after treat... and she continued to take them from me... but she still remained huddled in the back of her crate.  Still... we connected.

However many months later... after both Lucille and Peaches were adopted... K9 Justice League headed down to North Carolina for another pull.  We came at a time that they needed it most.  The shelter was overcrowded and needed to transfer some dogs to rescue badly.  The shelter is basically an animal control facility run by volunteers that offer their blood, sweat, and tears to help the unwanted dogs and cats of rural North Carolina.  I knew who I wanted as my next foster dog before we even traveled down there.  Hallie was STILL there.

So... welcome to Hallie - and seven other needy dogs!  She's not as shy as Audrey, but she exhibits many of the same characteristics.  I highly doubt that she's ever lived in a home before.  The ceiling fan and the standing fan threw her for a loop.  The television intrigued her... and it's obvious that she's never seen or heard one before.  She fits right in with the dogs and is BFFs with Lyla already!  The cats make her a little nervous, though.  She has some threshold issues when it comes to coming in and out between the house and the backyard.  I have to prop the door open and hide around the corner... then sneak behind her and shut the door once she's come in.  She will walk on a leash, so that's a plus!  She's really been a joy so far!  Hallie has only pottied outside... and has remained quietly in her crate when I sleep and when I went to work.  She eats well, too!  You all know how stressed out a finicky eater makes me!  Hallie takes time to settle down in the house and actually sleep, but she's figuring it out.  She needs a lot of socialization with people... but doesn't have a mean bone in her body.  I'm excited to get to know her better and continue working on getting her socialized with the human kind.  So far, so good.  I'm glad that we made that connection a few months ago... and I'm even happier than I'm able to help another dog that would have otherwise been overlooked time and time again.  Get ready, Hallie... you're life is just beginning!