Who Rescued Who?

That magnetic bumper sticker,  "Who Rescued Who?" lived on the Yapmobile's bumper until someone grabbed it.  Those three words came back to me when the relationship between Carly Jeanne and Wilbur culminated in them finding a home for each other.

My adopted niece recently spent two weeks with me.  Wilbur, the year-old Chihuahua foster dog here at Little Pup Lodge,  also decided to adopt Carly Jeanne. Like, immediately.  Carly  was a little slower to respond. She has lost way too much for her young 13 years and in response, has had to build a moat around her heart. Apparently, someone forgot to tell Wilbur. He  quickly abandoned me and snuggled up to Carly  each night. Since Carly Jeanne stays up until 3am and sleeps until 2pm when she visits (We're not much into Tiger Mom around here), Wilbur thought he'd died and gone to heaven. Wilbur is not what you would call a morning dog.  I gave up trying to rouse him for our 7am beach jaunts as a Chihuahua with his cranky-pants on can ruin it for the rest of the gang.

   Rise and shine–almost time for dinner!

Wilbur adored Carly more each day. After I cleared it with her mother Kimberly, I asked  if she would like to adopt Wilbur. Carly looked away and her answer was less than enthusiastic. I understood. If I'd lost my dad to drugs at 10 and lived with a mother diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer, I would be mighty slow at letting anything or anyone cross that moat.

Carly, with zonked-out Wilbur and zonked out Mom.

However, Kimberly called when Carly returned home to report that Wilbur was all she talked about. A week later, mother and daughter flew up to claim their newly adopted dog. The phone calls keep me updated on Wilbur's  progress. Morrison, as he has been renamed,  never lets Carly out of her sight and she rarely goes anywhere without him.

A dog is a dog, not a human. But they are so much better equipped to teach us how to open our hearts again.