Suki Update!
Suki was one of our very first cases and we learned a lot from him. He was our first intake and I fostered him from March- April 2019. Once he returned home, I became his case manager. I provided support to his owner and walked him weekly for many months until his owner decided it would be best to re-home him. I got to know his owner and still visit with her, often bringing one of my own dogs for a visit. Suki was a great tester of some of our early ideas and protocols, and taught me many lessons. I was worried we would never find someone to care for “Stinky Suki,” who was still struggling with allergies. Within 24 hours of posting his profile on Adopt-A-Pet, I received a message from Martha, a woman in Kokomo, Indiana. She explained that she had lost her husband, followed by her Westie, Abby, who had allergy problems like Suki. She was looking for a Westie and had a feeling Suki was meant to be hers. Even though Kokomo was out of our serviceable area, I had a really good feeling about Martha. During our first call, she asked if Suki was on Apoquel, a medication that’s very effective, but also very expensive. I knew Martha was well aware of the costs of maintaining a dog like Suki, so we arranged a meeting. We met at the Bloomington Visitors Center and Martha’s eyes lit up when she saw Suki for the first time. We headed over to Ferguson Dog Park for a meet and greet and discussed his health and our plans moving forward. As previously mentioned, I didn’t feel hopeful I would ever find the right person for Suki. I adored him but knew I wasn’t the right person to adopt him. Martha walked a mile with friends every morning in her neighborhood park, knew all about the Westie demeanor and the allergies that came with it! I couldn’t have created a more perfect match for him if I tried. We met in Indianapolis on October 1, 2019, and made the adoption official. Her dedication to his care has been so inspiring and I enjoy seeing photos of his progress but haven’t seen him in person since that day in October when I sent him off to his new life. We stopped at Martha’s for a visit on 2/21/20 on our Quila pick up. He had just gotten back from the groomer and was looking so handsome! His coat was so silky, his little black nose was shiny, I could tell that he was feeling great and living his best life! The bonus was seeing how happy he and Martha are together. They have such a special bond and I am honored to have been a part of their story. #dogschangelives