Shadow is a beautiful Collie/Ibizan Hound mix that I used to take on weekly walks at the local animal shelter. He was so quiet, intelligent, and well behaved, I quickly got very attached to him. I had to walk him and his sister, Millie on a leash together because they were so attached to each other. Millie would get out from her kennel and join us.

They both walked beautifully, together on a leash. I knew Shadow's and Millie's time in this world would be ending soon because they were there for nearly 6 months and because they were both 5 months old, I had to act quickly if I wanted them to stay with me on this earth.

I decided to go to Petsmart with him and his sister so I could introduce them both to a home, which thank God I found! A nice, retired schoolteacher took both Shadow and Millie into her home, not wanting to separate them both from each other. We stayed in touch via email and telephone and I soon learned that she devloped a heart condition and could no longer take care of Shadow or Millie.

I placed Millie in a home with a friend that loves her very much but had yet to place Shadow. I couldn't bring him home because I have a blind, very scared Doberman pincher at home that won't like it if I had another dog with us.

I found a gentleman to take Shadow in but later found out he couldn't have big dogs in his trailer park. Poor Shadow had been staying with a man that was a friend of this man who was hardly home at all for him.

I had to find Shadow a home once more! So, I called a friend who also volunteers at the local shelter and she told me she'd set up an adoption place with Animal Pals Together, Inc. They had a lovely foster mom named Julia who fosters shepherd mixes and rescues a lot of doggies. She also has horses and a large home with a huge yard for them all! It was like Shadow went to doggie Heaven! Julia is very patient, kind-hearted, and loving with them all. I was so fortunate to have found her to care for Shadow and so was he!

Julia actually got very attached to Shadow and was thinking of adopting him for herself ...I came by every Saturday to pick Shadow up and drove him all the way out of town to another Petsmart to show him with Animal Pals Together, Inc. in Murrieta. Every week I'd take him back after a busy day of being poked at by little, unsupervised children all day long.

Neither Shadow nor I liked the crowds of looky-loos that came in droves to stare at the animals but most had no interest in Shadow. It was just not a very calm environment for such a well-behaved, calm tempered dog. He really hated being poked at.

I wish people would teach their children not to touch animals in cages! I had to take him out of the cage because he growled at those little hands prodding him! He was not an aggressive dog. The people were the ones that were aggressive!

One Saturday another nice teacher adopted him. The only draw back was that she had an elderly dog that was small and they had to get along. One week later she called me to say that it didn't work out with Shadow. That her little baby dog was too intimidated by Shadow and Shadow required too much love and attention. How sad that day was.
I picked him up and took him back to his foster mom, Julia's nice home. I thanked God once more that I had such a wonderful place to take him to, but neither I nor Julia could figure out why he'd not been placed in a home permanently! We both love him so.
So again, I took him back to Petsmart with that great organization Animal Pals Together, Inc. He was also placed on www.petfinder.com.

On Saturday, Feb.1, I couldn't make it to the Petsmart, so I didn't pick Shadow up that day. It was a good thing because these two wonderful, well-educated, calm, patient, people came to Julia's home and adopted him! I was so happy for him, yet so unsure that it would be permanent as he'd been adopted before, so many times.

So, this time I waited for several weeks before calling them to ask how they were all doing. They agreed to have an interview with me to tell me how much they love Shadow and tell me how happy they were to have found such an excellent, protective, intelligent, dog. My heart just flew as we spoke and I watched Shadow nuzzle and kiss them both. How sweet it is when a dog that I see as the best dog in the entire world has finally found a home of his dreams and these wonderful people had open up their hearts and their lives to Shadow.

Contributed by Ms. Michael Threadgill

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