Daisy Lou...

Such a SWEET face!

Emaciated....poor girl!

My next journal challenge was "your greatest accomplishment of 2012."  That was a no brainer for me. Her name was Daisy Lou and she came to me 5 days before Thanksgiving.  She was emaciated, scared, and tired. She was laying in a pile of leaves on the other side of our backyard fence and Trixie, our basset, was barking at her. Daisy didn't even care. I truly believe she had given up.

I took her food and fresh water and she inhaled it like she hadn't eaten in a week. She wouldn't let me really touch her, so I decided I would make her eat out of my hand to gain my trust. I put a blanket out for her and fed her about every 3 or 4 hours. She did eat out of my hand, but when I tried to grab her collar with my other hand, she pulled away. I got my camera and was able to zoom in on her tag and see that her name was DAISY LOU! YAY! However, the tag was laying up against her rabies tag (which was a little worn) so I couldn't see if there was an owners name and phone number on the other side of her name tag. I just had to be patient.

Luckily we were having a warm spell, so the nights weren't too cold, but I still lost sleep worrying about her out there and wondering if she'd still be there in the morning. Well, she was. I guess she like that food! The 2nd day, 2nd meal of that day, she got so excited to see me, she actually kissed me! Yep, right on my nose! I almost cried I was so happy. She got a little playful and even barked when I asked her if she wanted food. I still made her eat out of my hand and by now I was able to pet her. The day was so nice, that I just sat out in the sun with her gently talking to her. I gave her toys and a Frosty Paw treat. She still kept her distance, but I was gaining ground.

One of the happiest days of my life!

On day 3, I told Daisy we were going to do things MY way. Cold weather was on the horizon and I had family coming in for Thanksgiving. So, while I sat with her eating out of my hand, I took a deep breath and just grabbed her collar and hung on. I had a leash with me and hooked it to her really fast. It's like she instantly felt secure and calm. She let me hug her and pet her and I was OVER THE MOON!!! There was the name of her owner on the other side of the tag. My prayers had been answered. I had my cell phone with me, so I dialed the number and got a voicemail. I left a message and 1 minute later, I got a return call. Her "dad" was shocked and thrilled that I'd found her. She'd been missing for 2 months! He left work immediately and came and picked her up. As soon as she saw his truck, she went nuts! He cried, I cried, and Daisy Lou cried! He showed me pics of her he had on his phone (when she was a healthy weight) and there was a very lonely Great Dane by the name of Lilly Jane at home missing her her. I hugged Daisy and she gave me more kisses and waved goodbye.

Unconditional Love

I still get choked up when I think about those 3 days. Daisy changed my life. I learned so much from her. So, this journal page is dedicated to her. I love you, girl, and I'm glad you're safe and warm at home with your family.

~Nan~