Introducing Amber...
Amber is a beagle which I helped to rescue about a week ago. I received a sms from A last Friday evening about some beagles being given up and they needed a home. I thought... why not? So off I went on a Saturday afternoon with my brother and sis-in-law...
It was an experience never to forget. A hot day too cos we were all perspiring like crazy. We managed to see the beagle and decided that we wanted her because of her quiet temperament. So off we went again to the vet...
She was surprisingly good in the car. Once in a while, she would try to lie down in the dog bag which my bro had for her. Although she didn't walk very well on the leash, she seemed to know it when we said 'no' to her if she couldn't do something. This was something that I later found out that she learnt very quickly which also made her a very lovable dog.
Amber: Hi! I am Amber. This is my 1st time in a car! See how long my tongue is! Hehe...
Amber: Oh I am shy... you know... :) Stop taking pics of me!
Amber: But I think I better make sure my foster uncle and aunt drives me to the correct vet! I only want to see Dr Heng!
Getting her home was the only the beginning. There were many adjustments to be made. I had to prepare quite a lot of stuff for her. She wasn't paper-trained so there was a lot of cleaning up to do. I wasn't quite ready for it. But learnt how to manage. I also fell sick the past week. Am still ill but I still had to take care of her and the rabbits too. It was indeed a very challenging week for me. I had to clear a lot of work as I was on MC for a day and on top of that, I had to come home to 5 babies who needed my constant care and attention, I was very tired... and overwhelmed...
Luckily for me, Amber adapted to life at my home very quickly. The first day she was here, she was pacing up and down the entire night, probably not used to the large space. After she had settled down, she was sleeping and eating well and looked forward to all the pats I could give her. She seemed to know that sometimes I needed to be left alone to finish up my work or I'd become cranky and she gave me the space to do so. She was not demanding at all. The only time when she wanted attention was when she would nudge me with her big, wet nose on my knee as if saying... Hey Workaholic! I am still around... :)
Do you know that she's even afraid of my bunnies the first few days? She didn't know how to react to them the first few days she was around. Gradually, she got used to them, occasionally sniffing them and my rabbits were not even scared of her! This is funny! Maybe they all knew and sensed that they have been abandoned once before so... as the saying goes... let's live and let live...
Amber: Am I cute? :)
Amber: I think I am going to get angry if you take more pics of me... Grrr!!!
Amber: Oh... life is good... from now on... :)
Amber: My favourite lying down position... yea... :)
I am still not sure if I would be keeping her for good as I missed my rabbits. I am still not sure if I can manage Amber and the bunnies running around in the living room. I missed having my rabbits run around the living room. Taking care of a dog is certainly not easy but luckily for me, Amber is such a good dog that even for a first-time dog owner like me, I was able to feel like life is still the same after a week. Needed some adjustments and getting used to them all...
So... meanwhile, Amber is still here till I make up my mind or a better home comes along.
She certainly deserves a good life from now on.
Period.
We were just not meant to be....
Dear Panda,
It's really a coincidence that I found you in the dogs' blogs one day. I remembered how crazy I went during the March hols reading all about dogs with blogs. I read about you and Ode and how he helped to take care of you. I didn't know Ode's parents were fostering you then until I clicked on Barn2's blog and happened to see the link Homeless in Seletar , clicked on it and saw you and recognised you from Ode's blog and that was how I realised that you were up for adoption!
I started to read more about you. Your fosterers had nothing but praises for you. Your mild and gentle temperament made me convinced that you were the dog for me. You know you will have rabbits kor-kor and jie-jie to live with but I trust that you would be gentle with them.
My apprehension and indecisiveness made me lose you. After all, I was going to be a first time dog owner and I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to provide you with your needs. It wouldn't be fair to you if I short change you. But then again, I thought about how happy I was going to be with you... I thought about how we would go for walks in the evening and I would walk with you to visit Uncle Chris at his pet shop. We would choose your toys together and walk back home together. I imagined myself going for walks with you and how proud I would be of you cos you are such a lovely and well-behaved girl. I know how you would help me to keep fit cos I would have to accompany you on all those walks. Now I don't exercise cos I would be so tired at the end of the day but with you around, I know I would be motivated to do it. I imagined all those nice evenings where I can laze around with you sitting on my right and Roger-kor kor and Gracie-jie jie on my left. We would watch TV together and spend those nice quiet evenings happily...
Do you know that you look like your Roger gor-gor? He also has markings like you in his eyes and when I first picked him up at a park, I nearly named him Panda too? What a coincidence it was, don't you agree?
Now that someone else has adopted you, I am sad but also happy for you. I know where you have come from and how much you have suffered cos my rabbits went through the exact same experience as you. All of you deserve to be loved by someone for the rest of your lives.
So, Panda, live a great life from now on, love and treasure what you have from now on and laugh everyday with your beautiful heart... you may not know me but you will always remain in a special place in my heart... :)
Photo taken by Panda's fosterer, A.
Thanks A for keeping me updated about her :)
