Dazy, a return to fostering

She was a runner. That is probably how she became a stray. She came to stay at my house in November of 2005 before Thanksgiving. She left my house December 30, 2005. She was my first foster animal in about 10 years. I had fostered dogs and cats in the past through the local Humane Society. But I decided to stop fostering when I had a child. Now that my daughter is almost 8 years old, I thought about fostering again.

One day I was cruising one of my websites I do business on and I saw an “Emergency, Two Poodles need help!”. I read the story about a woman that had died and left behind two Standard Poodles and the family didn’t want them and put them in a shelter. A poodle rescue was looking for an emergency foster home to help until they could get help for them. I called my husband and asked him and he said “yes”. I contacted the lady on the email and she said the standards had found fosters, but would I like to foster in the future? About two weeks later, she emails me saying there was a female mini mix with an injured paw at the Oakland Shelter they needed to find a foster home for.

And then she says “her name is Dazy”. I thought in my head “uh oh”. My first dog, who was a stray dog, was named Daisy. This Dazy was found in Oakland, CA on November 4, 2005. Two kids saw her get hit by a car, picked her up and took her home and bathed her and called the police. They took her to the emergency pet hospital. She was then taken to the Oakland Animal Shelter and stayed for about two weeks.

When I got her, she had a hurt leg, horrible upper respiratory infection, fleas, tapeworm and had to be spayed. She was also very thin, so thin you could feel her backbone, ribs and pelvis. I took her to my vet to get her spayed and to check her leg. They did not find a break in her leg and we weren’t sure what was going on. My vet pulled out a needle and poked her foot and nothing; she had nerve damage. There is nothing we can do but wait and we may have to amputate her leg. I was heartbroken. This beautiful little dog with such a sweet spirit may lose a leg. I called the rescue to talk about it. We decided after she healed from spaying, we would get a second opinion.

We saw a wonderful orthopedic vet who saw her and said she had torn her nerves that control her left front leg when she was hit by a car. He said with time, they would reattach but maybe not with the right connections. But he said “I never amputate. Do you know why?” and he held up his hand with an amputated finger. He said even if she doesn’t get her feeling back to leave the leg alone unless she damages it and it has to come off. I walked out of there very relieved and with hope.

I went home and told Isabela we needed a miracle. She wrote Santa to bring a Christmas miracle and let Dazy have her paw back. It made me very proud of her. We gave her medicine, loved her, and cleaned up her messes in the house. Then we started looking for a home for her. We went through many maybes. We went to Disneyland before Christmas and Isabela spoke to Santa while we were there asking him to help Dazy’s foot. When we got back from Disneyland, she was walking slowly on her leg! She was standing on all 4 legs! And she was using her paw! We were so happy. Isabela said “I knew that was the real Santa at Disney.”

We kept looking for a family for her. Then one day I prayed “Please God or whoever is listening, help her find a loving forever home with children and dog to play with and a big yard.” And that same day a few streets away, a woman chanted “Please help me find a small dog to rescue for my family.” That day we connected through whatever cosmic happenings. She instantly loved Dazy. We knew each other through our children’s school: she had 3 kids, a dog and a big yard. I knew that day Dazy found her forever home.

I will always remember her sweet spirit, watching her play chase with
my cavalier, Teddy, in the backyard, and wrestling with my cockapoo, Max, in the house. I remember her chewing up a little doll I had when I was a child. Isabela and I cried over that. . I remember the day before she was adopted my husband left the door open and she ran out. And ran. And ran. I remember running after her and praying she wouldn’t get hit by a car; and finally catching her and carrying her home crying all the way. It was the scariest day I can remember in a long time. I remember buying her Christmas presents. She was adorable and maddening, lovable and mischievous, playful and cuddly. And now she has a new home and a new name, Anne. I hope to see her often, since the family lives near me. I hope she remembers me. I know I will never forget her.