The light in the backyard turned to shadows as the horizon pulled down the sun. Shandy lay near the tree in the center of the yard. When I approached her, she rolled on her side, looked at me, then lifted her back leg inviting me to rub her belly. I kneeled down and reached my hand toward her, but before my hand touched her, she lifted her lip and showed me her teeth. I instantly drew back, a shiver went down my spine. Our relationship was new then, about six weeks in from rescuing her from Carson Shelter in Los [...]

How Shandy ended up in my lap. I set a towel and a variety of brushes on the porch each morning before heading out for a walk with Koa and Shandy. When we returned, I'd put Koa in the house and set the towel down on the walkway to sit with Shandy. She appeared more at ease outdoors, so I would work to desensitize her to being petted and brushed there. It was a slow process. Her exposure to humans was limited. She was reactive and uncomfortable being touched. Over several weeks, I went from petting her back softly with [...]

Sometimes our greatest teachers come dressed in dirty coats with scraggly, matted fur, and do not hesitate to bare their teeth at their slightest objections. Once I stepped into Shandy's story, or she in mine (It's hard to tell which), her current condition demanded much more attention than her need for good grooming. Shandy didn’t have a dire health issue that needed addressing as many rescues do. She did have an inner conflict that took quite an effort to sort out. This magnificent creature named Shandy took me on a journey to my core. I examined my thoughts and beliefs [...]