One of the founders of Furever We Love rescue tells this story about a dog whose journey to a new home took some twists, turns and disappointments. Here is Chloe's story, told by Mike:
Chloe was a lost cause. At least that’s what people thought. She was one of those dogs that seemingly never had a chance. Or one of those dogs whom no one ever gave a chance.
At Furever We Love rescue, we find loving homes for dogs whose guardians are at the end of their lives, was contacted by a man whose mother had been her owner. The story he told us about her situation was heartbreaking. Chloe’s “mom” had Alzheimer’s and was about to enter a care facility. The woman’s daughter had severe autism and was also entering a facility to deal with her disability, and her husband had passed away. There was no socialization in the home for anyone. No one came in and no one came out.
Chloe had no contact with the outside world. Plus, she had a lot of issues.
When we first met her, she barely even looked like a dog. She was probably 30 to 35 pounds overweight. What little fur she had on her back was in random splotches and her belly seemed bloated. The biggest issue she faced, however, had nothing to do with her appearance. Because of the unfortunate situation she came from, she had had absolutely no socialization with either people or other dogs. She had no clue how to deal with anything outside the lonely existence she was used to up to that point in her life.
We knew upon meeting her that she was going to be the toughest case yet for the rescue. But a rescue isn’t just about finding homes for perfect dogs: It’s about finding the perfect home for every dog. As we had no foster who could take her, we initially boarded her at a doggy hotel. Then we tirelessly set out to find someone who would be willing to give Chloe a chance. Surprisingly, it didn’t take long.
As luck would have it, and as is so often the case in the world of dog rescue, out of the blue we received a call from a friend of a good friend who was interested. We set up an introductory “meet and greet” with the prospective new owners. The couple absolutely fell for Chloe the second they met her.
Shortly after her adoption, we got a phone call from the new parents. Chloe’s new mom, who has been living with multiple sclerosis for some time, had been having an allergic reaction to her new dog. She contacted her doctor about getting some medication to deal with it, but was told that due to her MS the doctor ruled out allergy medication. That meant that Chloe would not be able to stay with them.
They were heartbroken about not being able to keep her. We were heartbroken as well, and we felt terrible for the man and woman who had to say goodbye to her. So Chloe came back to us and to the doggy hotel. Shortly after she began her stay at the boarding facility, we were contacted by a woman who sounded perfect. It only took about five minutes to see that this lady and Chloe were a good fit. She was a single woman who lived alone and was looking for a dog whom she felt needed her and could complete her home. Again, Chloe had a home. The new mom sent a few texts to let us know things were going well. Until they weren’t.
After only a few days, new mom contacted us and said she didn’t think it was going to work out with Chloe. Apparently she had two kittens that were terrified of Chloe. Again, she was returned.
The boarding facility that had told us she could stay there “as long as it took” would not return our phone calls and voice mails asking if it was OK for Chloe to be brought back for a while. To say we were disappointed is an understatement. We now had only a couple days at best to find a foster home for her.
Then we found a couple who ran their own foster care center out of their home who saw it as their mission in life to take in dogs with no other options. They agreed to take Chloe, and to top it off, they refused any offer we made to pay them.
After spending over a month at her new “temporary” home, someone spotted Chloe on the “Petfinder” website. They were interested in her, and it all worked out. Again. But we were skeptical, especially at this point in her journey. Chloe’s newest interested family was a senior couple who showed up for the meet and greet with their dog. Things went amazingly well. And her prospective new parents loved her, with all her flaws. They adopted Miss Chloe.
At this point in the story, you’re no doubt waiting for the “but” to come into play again. It didn’t happen. Chloe and her new family are doing amazingly well. Our big, blotchy, beautiful Chloe has lost her extra 30 pounds, has a mom and dad and canine brother and has a beautiful furever home.
Furever We Love is run by a married couple whose mission is to find loving homes for dogs whose guardians are at the end of their lives and have no one with whom to leave their dogs upon their passing. Their goal is to help seniors keep their pets with them as long as possible. For more info, visit their website: www.fureverwelove.com