The Story of Eleanor

Dear Eleanor,

You can’t read this, but secretly think if I publish this you will use your well-groomed paws to use my phone and see if I’ve written about you. Please don’t tell me if you don’t. You don’t know your life story. All you know is you went from sleeping in a shelter to taking up an entire queen bed that used to be just mine. Thank you for trusting me and letting me see who you are. Thank you for letting me have a new identity, again, as a dog mom.

Your Beginning

You were neglected. Not to scare you, but you were dumped when you were pregnant with 10 puppies. You had those puppies at the Kansas Humane Society and nursed them. Something scary was happening in the world called COVID-19. You went from being dumped, in a shelter, having babies, saying goodbye to the babies and then going into foster care.

Meanwhile, I was going through some stuff too, but that stuff paved the path to get to you. While you were going through your stuff, I was healing. You see, there were two really important dogs before you. Max and Sherlock. They were part of a relationship and well, that ended pretty badly. I cried a lot about the dogs. I knew it wasn’t fair to immediately get a dog and try to fill the Sherlock and Max shaped void I had. We won’t dwell on this. Just know, I had to do a lot of healing and therapy to get to where we are.

I met you on a Friday, your foster parent brought you in. You were skiddish, underweight and wanted nothing to do with me. I took a chance. We were solid roommates for a little bit. But then, you only peed twice in four days. That’s when I took you to the vet. You had to stay overnight. They called to tell me you wouldn’t pee and suddenly I told everyone I knew to please send vibes to make my dog pee. I cried. Suddenly, I realized you were mine. I missed you. The next day you finally peed. Nothing was wrong, you were just traumatized they told me. I picked you up and sat with you in the backseat. You put your paws on my shoulders. You knew I was the one coming back for you.

It was after that slightly expensive overnight visit you realized you can trust me. And so you do. Every day. I am honored that you, such a pure and wonderful thing, trust me. I know you’re a dog. You’re dependent on me. All you know is to trust me that I have only the best intentions for you. I wake up every and end it the same way. I tell you I love you and I hope I can be who you need me to be.

Your Personality

• You get exceeding high marks at playcare for your sweetness, charm and eagerness to please. Your mom LOVES getting your playcare report card.
• You are sweet. So sweet. Have I mentioned you are sweet?
• If someone looks into your eyes for too long, they will forget you are a dog because your eyes are human.
• You are smart. So smart. You constantly surprise me with new ways you get out of your crate just to prove to me you can. Oh and I will never trust you to eat your fish pills after I realized you were hiding them under the rug after you picked them out. Ahem.
• Attention? The more the merrier! You actively smiled at someone when they were complimenting me on your expensive leash set.
• You do not love men and DO NOT love it when men try to approach. You quickly calm down but honestly I’m not loving men so I don’t really stop you.

What We Do Together

• Every morning we wake up at 5:30 am and head out to the dog park to let you run around. I am very worried about you not having enough independence. Thus, every morning we drive so you can have off-leash time around a fence. You poop twice before we leave.
• I pick you up and carry you into any new situation because you lie down and look at me anytime something new happens. It’s okay, I don’t mind lifting a 55 pound dog on and off an elevator 5x a day. It’s fine. (You’ve gotten much better.)
• We go everywhere together. You jump into the backseat and happily put your nose out of the window. Not too far because sometimes the wind scares you.
• We dream a lot together. You have less input than I’d like but in general you seem to support me.

I’m Always Going to Come Back for You

I’m always going to come back to you Eleanor. I promise you. You will always have someone to look out for you. No one else, just you and I. We’ll make sure we’re safe. Me more than you because you don’t seem super career-oriented. You know how we ride in the car a lot? I take you everywhere because I’m proud of who you are.

You’ve grown so much in our short time. You achieved your goals and made me very proud. Although you find new ways to challenge me with your smartness, I love it.

Thank you for being who I needed in my life. I hope I’m the person you needed.

I love you Eleanor,

Alissa (Mom)