Tales & Tails of New York

No sooner was Sapphire adopted yesterday when Elaine drove me to the Manhattan AC&C to pick up "Amber."

Amber is a five-year-old Chow mix who was ten minutes away from being euthanized earlier this week at the shelter.  Both myself and one of the shelter staffers quickly moved to get her "off the list."

Amber is a lovely dog.  Gentle, quiet, cheerful, seemingly housebroken.  A little grungy, but nevertheless in good condition for having come into the shelter as another "Bronx stray."

Amber was wonderful in the car as we drove her to my vet. 

There, she has to stay until I can come up with some boarding or fostering arrangement.  I have no "open fosters" at the moment.  The few I have are already fostering dogs.

Oh, that only we had more fosters!   The animals we could save!

But, wishing is not reality.

The reality is that this lovely dog will probably be a difficult adoption.

Amber's not tiny.  She's not a puff piece or a purebreed.

And she's a Chow mix.

I still can't figure out what it is about Chows that make them hard adoptions.

Is it their long fur?  Or, the fact some look like bears or lions?

Or, is it the fact that some people consider Chows "cat-like?"

Chows can be aloof with new people, but Amber isn't.

She's a sweetie.

In so many ways, Amber reminds me of "Jezzie."

That's why, from the first moment I saw her picture on the New Hope list, I immediately called.

My heart still aches over the memory of Jezzie.

When Amber kept looking out the door at the vet's yesterday, at the people on the street, she too, was looking for that "former person" in every face she saw.

For a moment, I thought I was looking at Jezzie.

But, then I hugged Amber closely to me and said,

"You don't need to look out. You're person is not there. You're  here now. You are safe."

Amber then snuggled her head gently and kind of sadly against my leg and closed her eyes. 

She stayed there a few moments as if silently grieving -- and understanding every word I said.

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