MERRY CHRISTMAS, CARLY
My following visits with her were much the same as the first. Many times I looked into those slanted gold eyes and wondered how much hurt she carried in her heart to prompt so much suspicion. No matter how much love I offered, she would not trust. In contrast to the other wiggly waggly friendly dogs, it was always snarl, snatch and retreat with her. This went on for months and because of her temperament, I feared she would never find a home.
One day I decided to try something new. Carly snarled and bared her teeth as I knelt in front of her kennel but instead of pushing a treat through the wire, I opened the door and held it out to her. She stopped snarling instantly but uttered low growls and eyed me with suspicion, then, again, snatched the milkbone and retreated to the back of her kennel. I don't know what I had expected to happen, but it hurt to have her, once more, reject the love I offered.
This became our new routine. Snatch and retreat. At least she wasn't snarling at me anymore and eventually the growls ceased as well, but as the months wore on, and she never showed any interest in friendship, I began to lose hope.
One warm spring day, after a busy afternoon at the shelter, I headed for Carly's kennel. Kneeling by her door, I opened it to offer a cookie. She crept toward me with her tail and ears down, as usual, but she didn't stop at the doorway. This time she crossed over the threshold, eased into my lap and, timidly, her gold eyes looked into mine. I couldn't believe it! My heart swelled with emotion as I realized what she had done.
I held her close and rubbed her chin. I scratched her ears and told her over and over, "I love you, Carly."
We sat that way for a long time before she finally took her cookie and retreated into the kennel.
Suddenly, a commotion in the kitchen jolts me back to the present! I hear footsteps scrambling onto the carpet and a white streak of fur races past me,
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