I’m continually reminiscing about when I first met Teddy. I’m so proud of how far he’s come along since I adopted him. It was love at first sight. This is Teddy’s adoption story.

In 2014, I took a long break from working. When my team’s work got outsourced, I decided not to pursue other opportunities within my company. I was not interested in working again right away because I wanted to change to a marketing career. I also wanted to travel and pursue personal interests, such as volunteering.

I had been volunteering at the Gateway Pet Guardians animal rescue shelter for just a few weeks when I saw the most adorable picture of a dog on the GPG Facebook page. It had on a green sequined bowtie for St. Patrick’s Day and looked just like a teddy bear. The post stopped me in my tracks. I hadn’t seen the dog at the shelter before and wanted to find out more.

It turned out that Clemson (his name at the time) had been rescued earlier that year (read his rescue story here). He was heartworm positive and recovering from his treatment in a foster home. I was glad that he was safe, but at the same time, I was disappointed that he wasn’t available for fostering.

I was still trying to get over the breakup of a serious long-term relations

Love at First Sight

I went to GPG a couple of days later to walk and feed the shelter dogs and guess who was there!? The same beautiful dog that had popped up on my Facebook feed that I had fallen in love with already.
It turned out that he was having issues dealing with being crated. He had started chewing up things around the house, so his foster mom started to crate him when she was gone for the day. He didn’t take to that very well and was disturbing the neighbors. Having lived in an apartment complex with Winston, I could understand how difficult it is to deal with a loud dog and neighbors. She was reluctant to bring him back to shelter.

Usually, the dogs get very excited and bark whenever a volunteer walks in. I had never seen a rescue as mellow as Clemson. He didn’t make any sounds but just looked up at me with his big expressive human-like eyes. I was so smitten by his glaze.

When I walked him, he was perfect on the leash. He was gentle and didn’t pull like any of the other dogs. I knew that it was partly because he recently started his heartworm treatment, so he may not have been feeling 100%. Although, that part of his demeanor never changed too much.
I ended up spending more time with Clemson in the outdoor play area and sat with him in his kennel for a long time. I couldn’t stop thinking about him when I got homely. I knew we shared a special connection, and he was the laid-back type of dog I needed in my life.

Two days later, I took Clemson home. I quickly changed his name to something more suitable, Teddy. Coincidentally, that was also what his foster mom called him.

Teddy coming home for the first time.

Teddy in his new room. He loved his futon!

I was nervous about how he would do with the cats, which was another reason fostering would be the perfect trial. The cats had a hard time living with Winston. Setzer had developed severe anxiety because Winston was so hyper and big. Winston had also accidentally fractured the other cat’s femur when he tried to play with D. Teddy was not as big or high-energy, but I still had my reservations.

I spent a lot of time with Teddy since I wasn’t working and we bonded quickly. But, it took almost losing him for me to realize just how attached I’d become. I asked a neighbor to let Teddy out to potty while I was at an all-day conference. Teddy got loose and was not found until the next day (read about the search for Teddy). When I found him, I knew I never wanted to let him go and completed the adoption process.

Teddy’s Transition

Teddy was timid and shy when I first got him. It took him a couple of weeks to feel comfortable enough to get on the sofa with me. After a couple of months, he would jump to the foot of my bed for a short while. Eventually, he stayed there longer and longer, and then throughout the night. When he finally moved up to the bed to lay right next to me, I knew he was ready to trust again.

I had spent the last six months traveling and keeping busy to fill the void left after my breakup. I was lonely and deeply depressed all those months. When Teddy came into my life, he instantly filled my heart with love and happiness again. Even though I started volunteering because I wanted to help save and protect homeless pets, it also ended up healing me in a way that I never expected. In the end, Teddy saved me.