Our Rescue, Sadie, came to us a year ago last August. We were her third home. Her first home was probably a good one, but the people had to move, and couldn't take her with them!
So, they found a new home for her. Intially, I think she was ok there... but the marriage fell apart, the wife left, with the kids. It was very sordid, and Sadie ended up living in her crate for a minimum of 17 hours a day.
When the man surrendered her to Rescue, she was at least 50 lbs over weight, and in general was in pretty bad shape. She needed surgery on her eyes. We originally were going to foster her.. until she was ready to be placed in a permanant home. I remember taking her outside for a walk the night we brought her home. She was very spunky, happy, and somewhat bewildered.
Emotionally, and sounding quite a bit like Scarlett O'Hara, I looked down into her goofy face and vowed that as "God is my witness", she would never have another sad day as long as she lived.
We determined that it would take some time for her weight to come off, and that her surgery would have to wait. This tore at our hearts. We had not planned on adopting her, but she grew increasingly attached to us, and we to her.
It seemed so unfair to up-root her again, so we did adopt her. Since then, her health has deteriorated... she developed epilepsy, and has suffered rather severe side effects to her medications. She has a difficult time walking... most of the time we have to assist her by using a sling.
I think paying attention to our instincts was a very good thing in this case. Had she been placed in another home, and then developed this condition.. my guess is that she would have yet been uprooted once again... and that may just have broken her spirit...
