Elvis’s Adoption Story

Today, I have let my mom take over my blog to write about Elvis’s adoption and why he such a special dog to her. Don’t worry I won’t get jealous..I know mom really loves me too!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In October of 2010, my inbox was full of frantic e-mails telling me about this huge puppy mill that was shutting down outside of St. Louis. Over 800 dogs were being sold off in an auction on Halloween. Rescue groups around the country were mobilizing to try to get these dogs out before they were sold to another breeder. In this mill was twenty-four West Highland White Terriers. As you all know I volunteer with area westie rescue groups. So a massive fundraising effort was conducted and in about a week and we were able to raise $7,500 to buy the lot of westies right before the auction. The money was sent and a brave westie rescuer named Paula drove onto the puppy mill property loaded up twenty-four dogs and high tailed it out of there before they could change their mind. So now that we had all these dogs what to do with them became the next question. The dogs were divided out among several groups and a very complicated transport was arranged. I was given the task to drive up to Indianapolis to pick up six dogs and take them to Nashville. The trip was quite an adventure. This should have been a sign of things to come. These little white dogs liked to bark the whole way! I had three boys and three girls and one of those boys was my Elvis. Here is one of his first photo (ignore the hair lol).

I passed on those six dogs and didn’t think to much more about it other than we did a good deed. Then at the end of November I get a call from the Westie Rescue Southeast Coordinator saying can you foster a boy for me..I have the perfect one ..Elvis he will get along great with Preston. I couldn’t say no. So we drove to Nashville to pick up the little guy. We weren’t really prepared for the challenges of a puppy mill dog. He had spent his life as a breeding dog so we had to teach him everything! He didn’t know how to eat or drink out of a bowl, what a bed was, how to walk on grass (forget walking on a leash), or what to do with a toy. Teaching him to go up and down stairs was quite an experience. Poor Elvis must have tumbled dozens and dozens of times before he got coordinated enough to go up the steps..then we had the task to teaching him to go down them too! At one point we put pillows at the bottom to break his fall if we couldn’t catch him. Here is Elvis working on the stairs..you can tell his is really concentrating!

However, when he finally figured it out he ran up and down them for at least an hour straight! Another humorous experience was Elvis meeting the cats for the first time. Needless to say he learned really quickly that cats have claws and they don’t like to be chased. He had quite a scratch on his nose. Basic things you take for granted that a dog should know just didn’t come naturally to Elvis. I (with the help of Preston) had to teach him almost everything. After a bath Elvis didn’t know how to “shake” to dry off and when you picked him up all four legs went stiff and stood out. Taking Elvis to basic obedience could have been a comedy show if we had recorded it. It took us six weeks to get him to lay down but it only took him one class for him to learn that a click from a clicker means treats! You can tell where his priorities are !

Several people where interested in Elvis and some even made plans to travel to see him. But time after time things fell though. I was starting to really take it personally, like why don’t you like “Elvis” don’t you know how special he is?!!?! Also, no matter how great the applicants were ..they weren’t good enough for “our little” Elvis. Teaching a puppy mill dog is very much similar to taking care of a baby and teaching them everything. Also, Elvis became extremely close to me and looked to me as his protector and completely trusted me no matter what. I admit I got very attached to him as well So on St. Patrick’s day of this year we decided we couldn’t give him up. So we officially became foster failures. He became a part of the family and got his forever home!

Elvis has brought me so much happiness and joy these past nine months. For all that Elvis has been through you would think that he wouldn’t trust any human since it was those people who locked him up in a cage to breed for his whole life. However, Elvis showed me, my family, and everyone who has gotten to know him to not count out any animal no matter what has happened to them. Elvis just wants to be loved and to give love and that is what makes him happy. He loves people to hold him, pet him, and just talk to him. Every time he learns something new he prances around and is proud of himself. It is almost like he is saying “and you thought a puppy mill dog couldn’t do that…I showed you!” I love to see Elvis so happy and that in turn give me true happiness. His joy is pure and honest with no ill intentions like humans can have sometimes. He brings so much happiness to my whole family that only a dog can and for us only a Elvis can do! A few days ago on September 1st we were able to celebrate Elvis’s 5th birthday with him. This is the first one he has spent out of the mill and in freedom. Looking back offering to let six westies hitch a ride with me ended up happily ever after for us and our Elvis!

Preston (and Elvis’s) Mom