Sweet Willow

One year ago today we said goodbye to our sweet Willow. I will miss her every day for the rest of my life.

Willow, or Diva as she was known at the time, came to The Devoted Barn as part of an owner surrender with several other huskies. There was a court case involving a large number of dogs this owner/breeder had released into the cold. Willow was one not released but later surrendered. She came to TDB pregnant (bred to her brother). She was hydrocephalic (water on the brain causing brain damage, blindness and other issues) and had zero socialization. Because she was pregnant she went to Jennifer's home. Jennifer runs the nursery for TDB. Willow/Diva was so wild and scared it took several people and a muzzle for the vet to even examine her. However, in the calm of Jen's nursery Willow started to learn how to trust. She lost her puppies (they would have never lived) and was spayed by the good people at Michigan State University. I followed TDB at the time and had been going down to the Barn to help clean kennels, etc. Her story touched me and after meeting her we decided we wanted to foster her.

When she came to us she had never been a house dog. We created a safe place for her to decompress

and get to know us. However, she had also never been outside. She didn't know what snow or grass was. She circled endlessly at the end of a leash. We spent countless hours in the yard with her just running in circles, too terrified to stop and go to the bathroom. So many times I wondered if we were in over our heads and what I had gotten us into. But, more and more she started to open up and trust. She began coming to be near us in the living room. Not touching, but near. She was very curious about Molly and usually wanted to be near her. One memorable day Mark came home from work and Willow went over to his chair and sniffed his face happily. It was the first time she initiated touch like that. I wanted to cry.

As she relaxed and learned she became a wonderful, confident girl. She LOVED going for walks, happily following Molly down the road. She loved car rides and camping and RUNNING in the yard. Most of all she loved to cuddle. She would put her head on my chest and stay there for hours if I would let her. She absorbed love like a sponge.

Unfortunately her hydrocephalus was too much for her body and we had to say goodbye. I will take the lessons I learned from her and use them the rest of my days. Fostering and then adopting my girl was one of the best decisions I will ever make. Saying goodbye broke my heart. But, I'd do it all again just to have her love. I miss you Willow.