On November 1, 2020, I made the trip to Harmony Animal Matchmaker & Sanctuary, one of our local shelters here in Grand Junction, CO. I stepped inside the front office and asked the receptionist if they had any senior or special needs dogs in need of a home. At that time, there were no adoptable seniors, but there was a precious cattle dog/mix named “Maya” that was a special needs dog in need of a home.
They brought “Maya” out into the office area in a large crate, opened the door and coaxed her out onto the floor. As “Maya” cowered in the corner, shaking and fearful, the volunteers told me her rescue story. You can read that story here: Penny’s Story – Penny Blog
I reached out my hand to “Maya” and she timidly sniffed and kissed the back of my hand. There was an instant connection between the two of us and I knew she was meant to be mine. We loaded Maya and her crate into my van and I brought her home. I had never rescued a feral before and I knew it was going to be a difficult challenge, but I was committed to helping “Maya” become a “real dog.”
I brought “Maya”, in her crate, into the bedroom we would both share. I had prepared an area of the room with a dog bed, toys, pillows and blankets. I set her crate down and opened the door, but she wouldn’t come out. I tried to reach inside the crate to pet her and she started shaking violently, so I just placed her crate facing my part of the room, with the door open. She never laid down that night – she slept with one eye open, sitting up in the corner of her crate. It was then, that I realized this would be no easy journey.