When my husband, Ed, and I first met Eliza at her foster parents’ home, she seemed destined to be adopted by our family. Her foster parents Karen & Brad had named her ELIZA, which seemed so appropriate, considering the comparisons that can be drawn between Eliza, and Eliza Doolittle – both damsels in distress, in need of a much-needed rescue – one from the Piccadilly area of the city of London, England, and one from a dank, dark barn of a puppy mill. And, NOW, both have achieved success. They can BOTH be deemed true-blue success stories!!
“Eliza” can be translated from the Hebrew, via Greek meaning “My God is satisfaction”, OR, sometimes as “God’s promise”. OUR “Fair Lady” has already exceeded our expectations.
Although it took a few days for her to adjust to her new surroundings, she has given me nothing but love unconditionally, lots of kisses, and unbidden cuddles at bedtime.
Eliza’s intelligence seems to grow each and every day. She can now void (and do the ‘other’) comfortably on the special pads provided for her, realizing that she doesn’t need to ‘hold’ it in so as to keep her cage clean. She roams freely through our home, and knows that she can rest when she wishes, on her bed, or the space provided for her on our couch.
Eliza has come such a long way, from the terrifying day she was rescued from an horrifying puppy mill near Stratford, Ontario to the present day. Her sweet personality shines through everything she does with us, and we all look forward to future shared times, frolicking with the family with whom she will spend the rest of her many many days to come!
Although she is making forays into her relationships with my husband, my 19 year-old son, and my 92 year old father, I realize that this will be a very slow process, given her treatment at the puppy mill. However, she moves in the right direction each and every day, and now, only barks maybe once or twice when she encounters them. When I’m in the same room with them, she WILL allow belly rubs, and being scratched and petted.
Time, however, is on OUR side, and we all know that it will only be a matter of time when she permits all of us to befriend her without imposed conditions. Eliza will even permit me to sing lullabyes and other songs at bedtime, just before she drifts off. She is doing wonderfully well with her leash and harness training, and we are biting at the bit for the weather to warm up, so we can go out for daily walks!! (Although I don’t know if it’s the walks, or the treats that she gets for wearing both of them – Yes, Eliza is double- harnessed and double leashed, as we are not taking any chances of her breaking loose!!; she gallops like greased lightning!
We cannot thank the C.C.R.T., the John Street Animal Clinic, Terry, Brad, Karen and the MANY OTHERS who helped this adoption take place, enough. I will never forget the words of our Vet, at the Glen Erin Animal Hospital when we were forced to euthanize our last wonderful dog, Aimee. He said, “Never permit the grief that you feel upon the death of a beloved dog, ever cause you to not try to love another animal – that would be sad for both you and another potential animal who needs your love.” All I can say, is that he was right on all counts.
(Dearest Eliza: it was not flesh and blood that drew me to love you…It was LOVE.)
