By Jarissa Aquinde, Positively Woof Rescue and Adoption Story Editor
My name is Dumplings and I am almost ten years old! My known story starts off when I was about six months. I was dropped off at the Animal Defense League of Texas in San Antonio (ADL). Here I was fed, taken care of and potty trained, as I waited patiently to be adopted.
Over a year passes before my forever mom enters the picture. She started volunteering at the ADL and would walk my canine friends. She was thinking of adopting a dog, but for three months, she had not fallen for any dog in particular. As fate would have it, on an August morning before I turned two, she noticed that the volunteers had not walked me (only the ADL staff). So, she decided to take me for a walk. Mom placed the leash on me, but I could not contain my excitement. I wanted to dart to the pen where I could be off leash to run and play. So, I took off! Oops! The leash wrapped around mom’s finger and pulled it super hard. It got swollen a bit. More than the pain, she was embarrassed that I got away and thought that she might have to call the whole crew to catch me.
Much to her surprise, she called my name, and I listened and came back to her! She grabbed the leash, took me to the play pen area and I ran straight for the kiddie pool! I dove in right away, put my head underwater and waited as she closed the gate. Mom noticed and rushed towards me! As soon as I saw she was close enough to me, I flicked my head back and then lunged it toward her — she got drenched!! BOL!! I played a joke on her! Ma was laughing so hard! When I saw that, I jumped out of the pool and ran in the dirt. When she sat on a chair, I jumped on her lap and covered her clothing with mud prints as I licked her face. She was laughing hysterically. When the ADL office staff saw her, they asked her if she was okay (since she was wet and muddy). She responded, “Best day ever!”
From that day on, I paid close attention to her car engine and I waited by the gate to see if she would walk me again. She did and she also brought me treats. She would try and teach me tricks for the treats and I liked that! She would confess that her only concern was that I was already two years old and that I might not learn anymore. She brought her Dad to meet me and he liked me, too. It was then that she decided that she would foster me over the holiday weekend to see if I liked her place.
That day, it took her about an hour to get me into that dog-eating-metal-machine that she calls a “car.” You have to understand that it was the first time I had ever gotten close to one. It was scary. But with treats, mom made me realize that it was not bad and that it would take me to places I never imagined. From that day forward, I came to love cars.I went to the place that mom calls “home” and felt very uncomfortable. It had stringy stuff for floors, which felt unusual on my paws. She had a garden which I loved, so I walked round and round in circles on the porch. Mom was concerned seeing me so uncomfortable. She called my now Uncle Oscar and he advised her that it would take a couple of weeks before I felt comfortable in the new place. He reminded her that the only place I had known for the past year and a half had been a kennel. He let her know that she would have to adapt to my ways and that these issues would dissipate as I got used to the place. But the holiday weekend foster was over and it was time for me to go back to the ADL.
Mom was struggling over whether to adopt me or wait a little longer and continue to foster me. When she opened the car door at the ADL, I stepped out, realized where I was, and jumped right back into the car! Not that it was bad at the ADL, it was just that I was getting all this attention and personal time that I loved! She understood me! That’s all it took for mom to decide to adopt me. I had chosen her and she chose me that day!
She gave me the opportunity to adapt to the house, garden, the so called carpet, and loud noises. She loves pranks and so do I, so we make each other laugh all the time! I am her guard dog, companion and friend at all times. Everything I went through makes me appreciate and be grateful for what I have now! I have grown to love my neighborhood and the people and dogs in it! I cbring joy and comfort to those who have lost their dogs. I go visit them and get treats in return! What could be better! Because of me, some of them have decided to adopt dogs. It makes me happy, plus I have gotten some new friends.
My advice to you is to adopt, but be ready to be patient, as we need to adapt to our new surroundings. You will not regret adopting a rescue dog! We are so loving and grateful… we just need the chance to prove it. We have so much Love to give! And by the way, I am almost ten and I am still learning new things. I surprise mom all the time!
Follow beautiful Dumplings on Instagram @dumplings_17
