Secret’s “Gotcha Day” is coming up soon. On October 1st, she will have been with us for five years. She was six when we adopted her from her rescuer. When she came to live with us, she had a constant look of concern on her face. She always seemed worried. Her demeanor seemed older than six; we felt like we had adopted an “old” dog. Twenty-two dog years have passed since then* and, in some ways, Secret seems younger now than she did then.
Recently, I took a photo of her that reminded me of a photo from the first or second day after we adopted her. I put them side-by-side to compare. Obviously, there are more signs of aging than I realized before I looked at this – her coloring is lighter, her features are softer – but the amazing change that jumped out at me from these was that the worried look is gone. She is a content, healthy, well-loved dog now and it shows!
It makes me incredibly happy to know I played a part in changing this sweet dog’s life for the better.
*The 1 year = 7 “dog years” formula is only an average. Dogs mature at a slower rate as they age.