Shane's Transport

Normally I try to come up with something cute and catchy for my blog titles, like "Popcorn in the car" or "Buddy on board" but Shane's transport is different. Normally I am running a dog to the vet, taking them from the vet to foster, or even taking them from one foster to another but today I was picking up Shane from his home and taking him to foster.

The drive up to get him was easy and the traffic was extremely light despite it being the 4th of July. I made it to the house in record time. Shane and his mom were sitting on the porch and he was right beside her, head in her lap. My heart twisted.

I parked the car and hopped out, trying to be cheerful. Shane barked only once, and then gave a grin as he wagged and looked to his mom. She welcomed me and asked if we had to leave right away or if we could stay for a bit. I felt a thump in my chest. Sure we could stay for a bit.

We sat for a few minutes and she explained about why she had to do this. She told me how good he is, he proved it by giving paw and rolling onto his back for a belly rub. She explained about how he'd started masterfully climbing the fence and touring the surrounding fields and a trailer park.  She told me how she was afraid he's run into the highway and that's- her voice began to catch, and shake- that's why she was doing.. this. I tried to reassure her that it would be ok and that saving his life was the right thing to do. She'd done it twice now. She'd taken him in after he was pulled from the shelter, and now she was letting go so he could live and be safe.

Ear up, tongue out. So Shane.

Shane sat beside her, tail thumping. She went to the kitchen to give him his meds one last time, his flea preventative and  heartgaurd. He barely noticed when I went to the car to get a leash. When I came back in he sat beside her, thumping. tongue out and one ear cocked at an angle. We sat for a bit longer. Shane was begining to catch on. He looked up at her, then me, then back at her and he scooted closer to her. She looked at me, "Ok, i guess you two better get on the road." I nodded, "ok."

I put my leash on him and handed hers back to her. My heart twisted. I flashed back to sitting in a vet's office, waiting for the vet to tell me if my dog was ok, and watching another vet come out to another family with a leash. It felt the same now. We walked out to the car, Shane questioning why I was holding the leash but accepting it, His mom was.

"Wanna go for a ride Shane?" I tried to be cheerful. He smiled and hopped in to his crate. I hugged his mom tight and she thanked me. I promised we'd drive safe and she slowly returned inside.

The trip was quiet. Shane didn't make a peep. We arrived at the fosters without a problem. The moment we arrived his fosters hurried out to meet him. They're a beautiful young couple with two dogs of their own, a high fence, and a beautiful home. We walked him around the front yard and they ooed and ahhed over him.

Getting some reassurance from his foster dad.

They loved on him and then brought out the first dog to meet him, another border collie. Shane did amazingly well and got along swimmingly. His new friend promptly brought us a tennis ball and lay down, waiting for us to throw the ball excitedly. While he waited (talk about an incredibly patient dog) Shane met the second dog, a brown mix. They met, wagged and after a few throws of the tennis ball with all three, it was time for Shane to see the house. He made himself right at home, played with someone else's toy, and wagged. He was a little unsure, but he was ok.


 We went back outside to take a few pictures of him and his fosters. He came to them when called and stood beside them. He was ok.    You could tell he didn't quite understand what had happened, or maybe he did and was being strong, but he was doing well.

I knelt down to say goodbye, "Shane?" His ears perked and he hurried over for an ear rub. It would be ok.  Shane is such a good boy and the family that adopts him will be very lucky. As I walked through the gate to leave my heart twisted again, I felt like I was leaving him... out of the corner of my eye I saw his foster dad kneel down and cuddle him. Shane sat beside him and thumped his tail a little. For the first time all day I felt my spirits lift. As hard as all this was, it is a new start for Shane.  His fosters are great dog parents and will make sure he gets great dog parents too.