Flashback

A peaceful puppy sleeping on my lap as I write. Suddenly, a dog barks outside. It is a common occurrence here, with the number of dogs in the neighbourhood, but things had been quiet for some time.
A single bark. That’s all it took to shift Cosette from deep sleep to wide awake, staring toward the door in fear.

A single bark from her, and a single reassurance from me to remind her that she is now safe, and does not live on the streets anymore. She has no need of fear.

I think back to the half-starved, more than half-starved little puppy I found not so very long ago, and the look in her eyes as I came toward her. So much fear for such a young dog. Nothing that young, be it animal or human, should know that much fear.

More than just fear though, there was hope in her eyes; something you don’t often see in the eyes of older street dogs. She wanted to trust someone and be loved and taken care of. And when she finally had someone to put that trust into, she fell headlong, not waiting to see if I earned that trust.

In spite of scary dog noises outside, Cosette remembers that she’s safe. It doesn’t take her long to fall back into a sleep so deep that she is completely limp in my arms. Rolling onto her back, all four legs splayed, she invites a belly rub. It is the most vulnerable position a dog can put itself in, but she is entirely unafraid.

Even now that she's not a tiny puppy, Cosette still likes to snuggle when she sleeps. She and I sleep like this most nights :~)

Coincidence

We had our last Wednesday night watching of Dr Who with the boys the night before the semester ended, though it was a bit fancier than usual. And by fancier, I mean we had more food. Banoffee pie, apple cake, s’mores tart, sweet corn, and papaya. The boys were pretty much in heaven. There was also a farewell for the dorm’s IG Harry, and me.

I had plans to spend the next day out of town with a friend, so I told the boys it was our final goodbye, as they would all be leaving while I was out of town. So they said their goodbyes to Cosette and me. It was a fairly emotional farewell. We’ve meant a lot to the boys, and they’ve meant a lot to us.
The following day though, I realized that I had far too much to do to go on a long bike trip. So I decided to change our plans to another day, and stay in town on Thursday.
Before I started to accomplish my list of tasks, I took Cosette to the school so she could spend the day outside. I also hoped to get a photo of one of the dorm boys, with the picture of Cosette he drew for me.

We had to wait some time for him to return to the dorm, but when he did, it was well worth it. He had been somewhat apprehensive about returning home, and as he walked down to the dorm, that was obvious on his face.
Cosette saw him from where we were sitting on a log, waiting. I turned her loose, knowing exactly what she would do. And she did not disappoint. She stretched out as she ran, the way she does only when she is super happy, and running toward someone she is very fond of. She was about halfway to him before he realized she was there.

The moment he saw Cosette, his face transformed into one of pure joy. He bent down, letting Cosette jump on his legs as he hugged and pet her. They only had time for a few minutes together, but I believe it was very much what he needed before leaving school.
It was only that evening when I learned that it was not merely my busyness and circumstances that brought Cosette and me to the school that morning. This boy had been praying all morning for one more chance to see the two of us. As much as Cosette has made a huge difference in my life, she has done the same for him. I love seeing the two of them together. Pretty sure he cares about Cosette almost as much as I do.
I was a bit bummed about changing my plans that day, but when I found out what an impact those five minutes or so made, I was perfectly happy with my choice. I would prefer five minutes bringing that much joy to one whom I care about than to spend all day selfishly doing only what I want.

I don’t believe it was a coincidence that Cosette and I ended up at Hebron that morning. I believe that we were prompted by God in order to be an answer to prayer. And it is a wonderful thing to be just that.

Sun Dog Part 2

This was written a little while ago. Most of you will already know the outcome of this, but I wanted to share my thoughts, though it has passed by now.

Cosette in her crate at the airport

We have less than a week left in India, Cosette and I. I have sent her paperwork in, to get her export papers. These are the vital papers. Without them, Cosette will not be allowed to leave India, and I will still have to leave.
There is still a chance that she will be the “Sun dog” I originally thought she may be. I am terribly afraid of that to be honest. I’ve grown very attached to this little dog, and the thought of losing her is not a good one.
I’ve been running these past few days like a chicken with its head cut off, trying to get every little bit and piece that I need for Cosette’s paperwork, hoping I’ve not left anything out or done anything wrong.
Something, though it seems like the paperwork and everything is fine, I have moments, especially as we’re snuggling in the mornings upon waking, where I think, “Oh no, this may be the last week I have with her.” I might end up being forced to leave her in India for whatever reason. It’s not that there are valid problems, but you still never know. I will not be at ease until we are through customs in Chicago and really on our way home.
Even now, as I finish writing this, I am on the plane in Frankfurt Germany, waiting to start the last leg of the trip home. The purser just confirmed the Cosette is on board, and doing well, but I still have this fear that something will happen. Perhaps they’ve confirmed that there’s a dog in the hold, but it’s the other one which was actually loaded. There are two dogs supposed to be on this flight.
Maybe I’m being neurotic. One thing that calms my heart is the knowledge that there are a lot of people praying that this puppy will arrive safely in the States. I truly believe that is what got us through the airport in Bangalore when they did not want to let Cosette’s crate through. I’m just trying to keep trusting and not panic about things. Hoping now that I’ll have many years with my Sun Dog. 

Worth it All

I am finding as I get closer to the time we are leaving, that transporting a dog internationally is far more expensive than I expected. When I first found out the ticket price, I was thrilled. It was much lower that I would have ever guessed. It made me so happy that I could bring my puppy home, which I didn’t think I could do.
But now, everything is adding up, the little bits and pieces that I didn’t realize would be there. Aiyoo...definitely wasn’t expecting that.

In a way though, I am glad that I did not know what the price would end up being. It is still well within my means to afford it, but if I had been informed of the total before starting, there is a chance that I would not have gone through with the plan to bring Cosette home. And I believe I would have ended up regretting that my whole life.
I’m guessing that if you don’t like animals, you’re probably not reading this blog, so I likely do not have to worry too much about being judged for this. Just in case though, I know she is a dog. I realize that in general, spending a large amount of money on a dog is foolish. I think the most my family has ever paid for a dog was about $20. Usually we end up getting free dogs.
However, something I have been learning lately, is to do things because you want to. To not let money stand in the way of it, but look ahead in order to make your choices. When you make a choice, think ‘will I regret deciding this way?’ And if the answer is yes, you will regret it, then decide the other way, and let nothing stand in your way. Money especially.

Not sure why this one ended up upside down, but blogger won't let me rotate it at all. Oh well...Cosette looks adorable :~)

I am not in any way saying that you should throw your money away on a lot of nonsense. For instance, I would have loved to buy a horse when I was working at a Friesian farm. There was one for sale that I really liked, but when I thought about spending $7,500 on a ten year old, green-broke, frequently lame horse, I knew that it was not a wise choice. I thought ahead, and knew that if I did not buy him, I would be a bit disappointed, but I would not regret it. It would not be something that continued to bother me my whole life.
But that is the case with bringing Cosette home. Granted, it is nowhere near the same amount of money as buying a Friesian. But it is more than I ever thought I would spend on a dog. Thinking about it though, I know for sure that if I did not bring her home, I would regret it completely. She has some major attachment issues. Even if I just step outside the house for a couple of minutes, she freaks out, howling and whining, then jumps on me the moment I return to her as though she thought I would never come back again. It would be unfair for me to leave her now.
And honestly, this puppy is well worth it. She came into my life at just the time that I most needed her. It was unexpected, though I cannot at all say she was unwanted. She has been the brightness for me during several very dark days. She was a gift from God, I truly believe that, funnily enough coming right around my “new birthday”, the day the dorm decided to choose as my birthday this year. She has made such a difference in my life in just the few months I have had her, and I can’t just dump her now.
In a disposable society and a disposable world, there are some things that need to be held onto, even if it’s not that easy. 

Best Dog in the World

I had someone teasing me the other day, because I was telling them that Cosette is the best and cutest dog in the world. They assumed that Cosette was the first dog I have had because of the way I was talking about her. I told him that I have had dogs since I can remember. My first dog was Stukey. She was only a year younger than me, and we got her when she was just a puppy, so I don’t remember any time before her. Stukey was an amazing dog. We could use her as a pillow, take toys from her without fear of her snapping at us, hold dog biscuits in our mouths and let her take them, etc. Didn’t matter what we did with that dog, we were safe.

We’ve had other dogs over the years. Tippy, Shasta, Kita, Alathea. Then there were my Grampa’s dogs that I grew up with; Duke, Zena, and Shadow. I have known some spectacular dogs.

But Cosette is the first dog that has been my dog alone. She is the first dog that has been my responsibility. She is the one that I rescued, and the one that I have spent time with, just watching her breathe, marveling at the way she has grown in the last 2 months, and feeling how different it is to hold her now than when I first found her. All of the other dogs have been shared responsibility.

So yeah, I am a little biased...my puppy is a little psycho child sometimes. She likes to take my belongings and run through the house, hiding under the bed (though she’s getting a little big for that), and pretending that she has no idea that she is being naughty. But that look in her eyes tells me that she knows. She loves to run around, acting like she doesn’t know what, “Cosette, come.” means. But then she snuggles up next to me, cuddling as close as she can, and I can’t really remember how naughty she has been. I just remember how much I love her, and how happy I am that she came into my life.

So yeah, she is the best dog in the world. But I’d probably be the only person who says that. 

Passstarboard...wait...no...Passport! Yeah...that's the one.

Went to get my puppy her last shots today. So much paperwork...Aiyoo...But at the end of it all, we have her "passport". It's really just a cute way of doing her health paperwork, and shot record and whatnot. Still plenty to do as far as paperwork goes, but she is getting closer. So exciting! 

Oh, by the way, have you ever seen the needle they use to microchip a dog? I thought we were going whale hunting when she pulled that harpoon out of the package. Flipping heck...
By the bye...we could use some prayer about the microchip thing. What is supposed to happen when a dog is microchipped is that the vet will then read the chip to be certain that the number on the card matches the number on the chip. But the vet doesn't have a reader that works. So I am going to try to find a kennel club or something that would have a working reader. That was the suggestion the vet gave. Otherwise, I'll just be praying that we got an accurate set.

Cosette says, "C'mon Mom, let's just go to the States already. No more needles."

I won't be completely relaxed about all of this until Cosette is actually in the States. There are so many things that could go wrong. But each step closer makes me have more hope that it will actually work. After seeing how Cosette acted when I left her with Carla for very short times, I don't know how she'd react if I left her in the India. And after teaching her to be the kind of dog she is, it would be entirely unfair to her. So, I'm praying, and doing all that I can to get this crazy little pup to the States. 

Hug a warm puppy

Puppy therapy is something that happens with me a lot. I can be having a completely sucky day, and then I go to get Cosette so we can go home, and something happens when I am with her, and nothing is quite so bad once I have her with me. I'd choose a warm puppy over a psychiatrist any day.
I never realized how much I missed having a dog around until I had Cosette. It was just something I blocked out of my mind I guess. But now she gives me something to look forward to at the end of the day. From her mad  rampages through my house when she gets excited, to snuggling with her when we're both about to fall asleep, to waking up to her asking for a belly rub, she makes me smile. Especially now, as I have been struggling with stuff a lot, she makes my days so much brighter. She showed up at the ideal time, and I am so grateful to have her.