Zabora first came to my attention when one of our incredible volunteers at the shelter took a liking to her and asked me to help find out more about her.  Of course I agreed, happy to help if it made finding her a home any easier. I decided to go meet her for myself. The first time I walked to her cage she gave me one of those calm but enthusiastic tail wags and licked my fingers through the bars. I made a mental note of how nice she was, and went to look up her paperwork. Her evaluation only confirmed what I thought: gentle, calm, people oriented, eager to please were all words used to describe her. The only problem is that time is not on her side.  Miss Zabora is eight years old. Old enough to have wrinkled skin and creaky bones, old enough to get passed by the people looking for “a younger dog”, old enough to not be given the chance that she deserves.

A few days went by and that same incredible volunteer started spreading the word of a wonderful little Elderbull at the county shelter in need of a home. While working and volunteering at the shelter you learn a lot of things, one of them being that an older dog who is also a pit bull who also has health problems does not have the best chances in a shelter overflowing dogs. This volunteer knew that in Zabora’s case action needed to happen sooner rather than later. The rescue group Jasmine’s House stepped forward to take her on one condition: there was a temporary foster home to care for her while she recovered from spay surgery. That special volunteer scrambled to find her a temp. home, to no avail. Emailing back and forth with her about the situation, I knew Zabora needed a home, and I knew I wanted to help. I just wasn’t sure I could commit to what she needed or put my parents through a new dog merely days after putting my childhood pup to sleep.

It turned out, though, that the best cure for heartache is to put another wiggling bundle of joy in your life. It’s like picking up where you left off. The day I brought Zabora home she walked right in to the living room and sat down at my dad’s feet where he was reading a book. I had no idea what to expect from her, but it sure seemed to start off right.

It felt like almost instantaneously that she won my family over. Watching her get comfortable with us has been a joy. It’s been a learning experience and we’re finding out more about her every day, which brings new hurdles and speed bumps. It also brings us giggles, smiles, and a brightened day.  So we’re stuck on her now, and we’ll see this girl through to the new loving home she deserves.

More about this pretty girl later.