The staff at the animal shelter looked at me like I was crazy when I told them I wanted to adopt Bernadette. I had been volunteering there for a few months and had become fond of this “high-risk” dog, despite all her growling and snarling. However, I feared, due to her behavior and long stay, that they would kill her soon. Officially, she was “unadoptable,” but after a lot of pressing, the shelter director agreed to give us a sort of test run.
I was anxious and excited as I followed Bernadette and one of the shelter’s staff into the tiny, fenced-in yard. I wasn’t sure how this would go. I was never allowed to see her outside her cage before. Once the gate was shut and locked, the employee loosened his grip on her leash somewhat, and I knelt down in front of her. To my surprise, she didn’t give me her usual snarls and growls. I pulled a treat out of my pocket, and this time, instead of throwing it at her, I placed it in my palm and reached out to her. I knew if she bit me, we would both be in trouble, but I had to take that risk.
She gently nibbled the treat out of my hand. Once it was gone, I slowly moved my hand to her side and dared to stroke her soft, matted fur. She seemed to smile at this simple touch, a touch which she had been denied for all those months she was stuck behind bars, and who knows how long before that. She seemed to know I was her ticket out of there, that I could be her savior.
I continued petting her sides, her neck, and her back; I scratched her floppy ears and rubbed her rump until her tail wagged. I was so relieved, so pleased, almost elated… I’m sure we both were. Before I knew it, she was hopping around me as I threw her more treats and teased her with a toy. I wondered if she would run with me.
“Can I take her for a run outside the yard?” I hopefully asked the employee who had taken us out.
“Haha! I don’t think she’s a runner, but you can try,” the man laughed.
I took the leash from the staff and looked down at Bernadette’s smiling face and newly twinkling eyes. “Bernadette! Let’s go!” I exclaimed. And off we went! Out of the yard, down the sidewalk, around the parking lot, then around the trees that lined the road. She proved them wrong, all right. Finally, I crashed down beside her, out of breath, wrapped my arms around her chunky body, and hugged her tight. She looked up at me with those big, brown, soulful eyes and licked my face, already damp from tears of joy.
She went home with me that afternoon – my first dog as an adult.
This was written by our contributing writer, Kara Kukovich.
The cover photo was taken by Kara Kukovich of her and her dog, Bernadette.
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