Well, Oliver's adoption story has come to an end. I started to type, "an unexpected end", but then I remembered that this is the sort of outcome we were concerned about all along. So I suppose it isn't entirely surprising to sit here and type a post on how we came to adopt Oliver.
About a week ago, I decided to part ways with the rescue group I'd been involved with for the last two years. We had two options: either leave Oliver with the group or break our foster agreement and adopt him ourselves. While the situation didn't play out exactly the way I'd hoped it would, it wasn't a difficult decision to sign Oliver's adoption contract.
Ollie has been with us for six months and he has settled in so well. During all of this time, the few adoption prospects he had didn't pan out. Since we brought him home from the county shelter on December 7th, Oliver has been nothing short of a natural fit into our household. He has since overcome so many health obstacles, has bonded with Bunkin and Flea to form a happy little pack, and has gotten comfortable enough to allow himself to fully relax. After so much time and all of this, Drew and I both felt that it wouldn't be fair to Ollie to uproot him yet again. This sweethearted guy belongs with us.
It's bittersweet, because I will always associate the addition of Oliver into our little family with the ugly end of my time with our rescue group. That hurts my heart, but it's neither here nor there. We will remain deeply involved in dog rescue and we will foster again for another group once I've settled into school. As far as I'm concerned, Oliver's adoption isn't a story of foster failure, but rather a huge success both for us and for him. Ollie is happy, healthy, and finally has a family who will truly love him forever. It just happened to be us.
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| Ollie's last day included many special treats |
UPDATE 10/17/19: We let Oliver follow his best friend, Bunkin, over the bridge today. After spending eight wonderful years as part of our brown dog family, Ollie let us know he was tired and ready to go. We never knew - since day one - how long we'd have with Oliver, as he was kinda like that car you got with 100,000 miles on it that still ran perfectly well considering its history. We'd seen Oliver through heartworm treatment, knew he'd been hit by a car at some point and healed on his own, seen the effects of early arthritis, and addressed dental disease and other hard knocks. It's not like he ever acted a spring chicken, yet he always had that sparkle in his mischievous houndy eyes: hey guys, where's the food?
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| Absolute best buds for life |
Looking back now on his younger photos from early on in our time with him, Oliver clearly seemed to have a lot more life to live. Let me tell you, he certainly did just that! This old guy, presumed elderly from the day we brought him into foster care, lived SO much life that it's almost unbelievable. This old Dekalb dog ran the breakers of California shores, hiked deep into Georgia wooded trails, road tripped to Florida many a time, and breathed the snowy air of mountainous Oregon. This hound lived his best life. I feel like I need to make him a whole new post, but the truth is he was the people's dog before he was ours. Y'all already know him so well - this is just a eulogy. I've said it all along: Ollie is the best dog I've ever had and the best dog I'll ever have - he is just so special. I've had a whole lot of dogs since bringing him home, guys, and I stand by this statement til the cows come home. Peaceful, loyal, huggable, lovable, squeezable, cuddly, squishy, lovey - these are just some of the bazillion adjectives you could use to describe our boy. Fat, brown, round, and houndy are our words of choice. Oliver stood as an ambassador to SO many foster dogs over the years we had him - he truly became our "ice breaker" dog in the sense that he drew the line for entry level integration for so many pack members over the years...if a dog couldn't pass Oliver, he/she couldn't be part of our pack. Thank you, Ollie boy, for your service in this way. You showed so many homeless critters the way - how to DOG and how to meld into a pack of existing dogs. This beast lived his best life, and us alongside him. We're still finding Oliver hairs all over the house / our clothes and I'm sure the Roomba will continue to do so for many months to come.
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| BFFs |
Bunkin and Oliver grew so close in the end - Drew and I rest more easily knowing that they're no longer without each other. In the end, his mobility got the best of him - Oliver no longer could take the stairs reliably to potty or eat, going up to bed proved a monumental challenge and accidents became a frequent occurrence. The day came that he could no longer stand without panting relentlessly and we knew he'd reached maximum discomfort despite his pain medications and steroids. Truth is, we were prepared for the end times since Day 1 of Oliver-hood. Every day, every month, every year with him was an incredible windfall. Geriatric from the start due to rough circumstances, this hound dog milked every ounce out of his secondhand life. We are so tremendously grateful we got to be his humans through the happy years. Run pain free, Oliver - catch up with your BFF Bunkin and enjoy the infinite meadows together. We love you so much and are so thankful to have you in our lives' memories.
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| Run free, our baby Hound! Best boy ever! |
Ollie has been with us for six months and he has settled in so well. During all of this time, the few adoption prospects he had didn't pan out. Since we brought him home from the county shelter on December 7th, Oliver has been nothing short of a natural fit into our household. He has since overcome so many health obstacles, has bonded with Bunkin and Flea to form a happy little pack, and has gotten comfortable enough to allow himself to fully relax. After so much time and all of this, Drew and I both felt that it wouldn't be fair to Ollie to uproot him yet again. This sweethearted guy belongs with us. 
