The Day I Met Meeka

The Day I Met Meeka

My entire life has revolved around pets; most notably, dogs. I am one of those types of people who sees an animal suffering in the wild (even a squirrel) and I want to run and help it, whether it could kill me or not. It is safe to say I am an animal lover.

From a young age I have considered my dogs to be members of my family. They listen to me, try to cheer me up, get INCREDIBLY excited when I come home, and show me the true meaning of unconditional love.

When I had to move away for University, there were a few years where I lived in an empty house as far as pets were concerned. It amazed me how much lonelier I felt and how upset I was not having a friend around.

I spent months looking at rescue centers and was determined to find a place to rent where dogs were allowed. Let me tell you, this is easier said than done, especially because I wanted a large dog….but I was determined.

We found a place we liked and about a month in we decided to start seriously considering the adoption process. By this time I was getting to the point where I couldn’t handle it anymore.

I kept having dreams that I was going to adopt a German Shepherd, although I was open to other breeds. I also knew I didn’t have time for a puppy, so I was looking for a dog that was young enough to still be energetic, but also be somewhat trained and not destroy everything I owned.

I ended up finding a German Shepherd that I thought would be a good fit for us, but he was located in a different city. I called the rescue center and they told me they would hold him for me, as my mom was going to pick him up the next day. I was so excited and went and bought all the supplies for him.

When I called shortly before my mom went to pick him up to make sure he was still available, they informed me there was a couple who just arrived and were looking at him and wanting to adopt him. At first I was angry and devastated. I’m telling you, I was hurting so badly for a companion that it was all I could think about and I didn’t want to wait another day.

After about a half an hour, when I was able to calm myself down a little bit and reflect on what had happened, I heard a voice (my higher power) tell me to be patient because that was not the right dog for me. The more I meditated on it, the more I believed that was true.

I started looking into AARCS, although the majority of the animals were already being matched up. I put in an application for three separate dogs who did not have “application pending”. When I heard back I was told none of them were available.

The second I walked in the door and saw her I knew she was going to be my dog. She barked and barked and would not come near us (Meeka had a rough past and was very distrusting of humans), but there was that little voice again telling me this was the one. All of a sudden I was able to fully appreciate and understand the previous challenges.

The foster parents told us that Meeka had been suggested to another lady before she was even put on the website, but the lady met her shortly before we did and decided she wasn’t a good fit. That does not happen all too often, so it was even more reassuring that this dog was the one I was meant to adopt.

Meeka is the most loyal, amazing dog I could ever ask for, and it is incredible how much she has grown and learned to trust in the last couple of years. People always comment when we take her to the dog park how much she loves me and the trust she has in me. They comment on how she runs back to me on a regular basis and how loyal she is. I have had many people approach me and tell me how they wish their dog had that much trust and that kind of a bond with them.

I can’t imagine my life without her, or what things would be like had I just went and bought or adopted another dog because I couldn’t wait. This is just one of the times in my life that I have learned I need to “trust the process”. As hard as it can be, this is an important aspect we should all incorporate into our lives.