Haley is my childhood dog. We rescued Haley from the Wish Bone shelter in Normal, Illinois. She is one of eleven puppies found on a vacant lot in Springfield, Illinois. A family fostered her for a short period of time. Her foster parents named her Andromeda. Nine year old me decided she looked more like a “Haley.”
We found Haley’s photo on the shelter’s commercial advertisement following the Animal Planet. My sister and I screamed “SHE IS SO CUTE!” and “MOM CAN WE GET HER?” My mom loved terriers and according to the shelter, she was part airedale terrier. It wasn’t until we met her that we realized she was no airedale terrier. This was confirmed years later through a dog DNA test. The shelter completely guessed her breed wrong but that didn’t matter because the minute my sister and I saw her, we obviously fell in love with her. However, I am allergic to dog fur which is the whole reason we looked for a wheaten terrier or airedale terrier because they are hypoallergenic.
I break out in hives whenever I touch Haley, but hey that is the sacrifice we endure for those we love. Looking back, if short-term fostering were an option at this shelter, my mom might have discovered my allergy sooner. At this time, we also had another dog at home, Henry, our soft-coated wheaton terrier. If we were able to foster Haley for a few hours and take her home to see how she and Henry got along, this would have helped in our decision of adopting her. Luckily, she and Henry hit it off so that wasn’t a problem.
We might have “saved,” Haley, but she saved us too. Haley and Henry were my sister and my two childhood dogs. They were beside us through the highschool breakups and friendship drama. Whenever I was having a long day, I could hug my puppies and feel better. I could talk to Haley and Henry about my problems and they would sit and listen. Dogs are the best friend you never knew you needed.
Haley needed us too. When we adopted her we noticed she would aggressively choke her food down her throat before chewing. This was a survival instinct she learned as a stray on the streets. We also noticed she had extreme anxiety. Haley is calm when you hold her but whenever you get up to leave she barks non-stop. We try our best to walk her and take her to the dog park where she can socialize with other dogs. Those efforts seem to have an impact on her behavior.
Dogs can be great conversation starters. When I walk Haley, people stop and talk to me or ask to pet her. When I walk alone, very few people say hello or even make eye contact. Something about dogs, makes us as humans more approachable. While I could walk my dogs at home whenever I wanted, I can’t do that now that I am out of state for college in a rental property which doesn’t allow pets. This made me think. If only I had the option to pick up a pup for a while and take it on a walk, maybe I would meet others new to town. That is why I have created Canine Connections, so that you may be able to help a dog in need while connecting with new people, who also love their furry friends.
Wanting a Haley? Let’s get you connected to a local shelter here
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