3/15/24 This is the most difficult post to write. I have started this over and over again. Adore came to me as part of a large research group that was being released. Most research dogs are used and released usually at an earlier age. Adore was 10 years of age.
Research dogs go through some of the most inhumane treatments “all for us.” She like most research dogs was terrified of a world she knew nothing about. She had never lived outside of a cage. I did not know at the time what this girl would come to mean to me. Adore was not an easy dog to adopt. She had many issues, mostly all emotional. She also might never be house trained, a trait most people do not want to deal with. It took Adore close to one year before she would take a treat or even come up to a person. We used to take her to adoption events even though we knew it stressed her out. We hoped a connection could be made. What actually happened was a connection had secretly been made without anyone knowing, even me.
I promised Adore on our way back one day from an adoption event, that she would not have to endure that again. We made a decision that Adore would stay at Beagletopia. Over the years, Adore taught many people about research dogs and also about love. She was adored by many. I took enormous joy in seeing Adore happy and anytime she did something simple that reminded me of a normal dog, like rolling on her back. I spent the next 7 years making Adore know she was more than just a thing to poke and prod. I tried to ensure that she had enormous value and that she was loved so incredibly much. Many of you go to know Adore and loved her over the years. After about one year of having her, I tried to teach her the dog door. This was a painful experience for both of us and I soon realized to give up. Four years later, I came home in the spring to Adore outside and me panicked about how she got there. She had taught herself the dog door all these years later. Now, she did not learn the dog door to do her business outside but to look for me.
Adore became the most normal dog for her. She was the most trusted and the only dog I could have the gate wide open and she would not go anywhere. For several years Adore had succumbed to heart then renal disease and we know she had delicate eyes, only last week seeing our eye doctor. You can imagine what a shock it was to lose her so unexpectedly. I was there when she left me and this image will haunt me for as long as I can remember. I loved her so fiercely and I hope and pray it was enough. For me, I am completely crushed and saddened to not have her in my life. She left me, one month to the day after Sasha. When I could hold Adore and love her with her relaxing on me, well I will cherish those days and miss them extremely. Every time I think my heart cannot possibly hurt as much as it did, it proves me wrong by breaking into a million pieces. I will forever miss mi amore, mi Adore. I love you forever. Rest in peace Adore.