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London had been wandering the streets for a very long time as was evident by her condition. What makes this even more remarkable is that London is blind and elderly (about 11 or so now). No wonder she was so afraid…she couldn’t see a thing and couldn’t tell who was touching her! How she managed her way around the streets on her own is absolutely amazing to me! I sometimes wonder what she ate and how she found food when she was on her own.
It appears from London’s body that she was a breeder dog. Sometimes I wonder about her life before rescue. Was she dumped by the side of a road by the breeder? Sometimes I don’t want to think about it.
After London came to Peke A Tzu Rescue, she was lovingly hugged and held, cleaned up, groomed, and underwent her dental and her hernia surgery. At that time Doc told Jan, the rescue coordinator; there was nothing to be done for London’s eyesight.
London recuperated well and was settling into her routine at the rescue when someone in the rescue (I won’t name names) thought it would be a good idea for me to foster her. I thought about it but not for very long. On July 1, 2005, I picked up London to foster her in my home. I am happy to report that I failed fostering in a big way and London never left! In December of 2005, she became a permanent member of my family, for you see, I had fallen totally in love with this little girl….and now she is known as “Miss London” in my house.
Does she run into walls and other things periodically? Yes, but it doesn’t phase her a bit. She just backs up and finds the right way to go. And I might add, one other thing about adopting a blind baby is you don’t ever feel the need to rearrange your furniture because they would need to get used to it again.
Miss London wiggles her little fanny when she hears the dog food come out; she follows me to every room in the house; she growls at me when she’s hungry or has to go outside; she seeks me out when she doesn’t know where I am and sniffs at me and goes back to her bed, knowing that “Mom” is in the room. There is nothing cuter than her sleeping in a ball on her big fleece bed. She is so content.
Her most endearing trait is her cuddling. She seeks me out and scratches at me and this is my queue that she wants to be picked up and held. She lies on my chest and nuzzles my neck and I get lots of kisses. But when she’s ready to be done with the cuddling, she lets me know that she wants down. She is quite independent and wants to do what London wants to do and when London wants to do it! She can be quite headstrong and lets the other pupsters in the house know it when they do something she doesn’t like! But I love that part of her as well! She’s a little ol’ lady who knows what she wants!
Miss London has learned about the “good life” and good people. She has blossomed in a nurturing, loving environment and is truly not the same dog that came into this home in July of 2005.
Yes, London is lucky to have us, but I am the one who is luckiest. London knows she’s loved and that she is in her “forever home”. But what I have given her doesn’t hold a candle to what she has given me. She touches my heart but touches my soul as well. I feel so blessed to have her in my life and I feel so proud of myself for adopting an older dog with special needs. My younger dogs have personality; Miss London has soul.
I’m a firm believer that you can have a list of criteria that you want in any relationship, but in the end, the relationships you end up with are for a reason. My relationship with London happened for a reason. I have benefited more from knowing and loving Miss London than I ever could have imagined. When I first adopted her I felt badly for her, and thought I was doing a good thing by bringing her home. Who was I kidding? Now I am filled with gratitude to her for sharing her appreciation for the little joys in life with me. I have learned many life lessons from knowing, loving, and being loved by Miss London.