Elliot
Our family has always had a dog as a
pet. When our last dog passed away several years ago, we didn’t
think we would have any more pets in the house since our kids were
older, and the extra care that was involved with having a pet. We
thought that over time we would eventually get used to not having a
dog.
A couple of years had passed and the emptiness in our hearts of not
having a dog around the house still remained. Our son Ben, who has
Down syndrome, kept mentioning how he missed having a dog, and that
he wanted another dog.
We somewhat kept our eyes opened for “just the right
dog”…………occasionally visiting area Humane Societies, looking through
the pet classifieds. Nothing really seemed to catch our eyes as
being the right fit for our family. We weren’t real optimistic that
there would ever be that perfect dog.
At work, Cindy Holland, a co-worker of mine, was a puppy raiser for
the WAGS program. From time to time she would bring to the office
with her a beautiful six month old yellow lab named Elliot. He would
melt my heart every time I would see him. I thought that the family
or individual, whose home he would someday be placed in would be
very lucky. Every time I saw Elliot I would pet him, talk to him and
admire how well behaved he was. I was always impressed by how well
mannered he was for only being six months old. Everyone who met
Elliot loved him.
One day when I came into work, I found out the sad news that Elliot
was going to be released from the WAGS program because of health
issues with his hips and elbows. Cindy approached me asking me if
our family would be interested in adopting him, knowing that we had
been looking for a companion for Ben for quite some time. We were so
excited that Cindy thought of us. There was still the uncertainty of
the surgery he would need to correct his health issues and the cost
of it.
On December 18, 2006 we adopted Elliot as a member of our family.
With the help of many co-workers, and friends, Elliot had the
corrective surgery at Veterinary Specialty Options, and is doing
great! Ben has a new companion; they are the best of friends! He has
brought joy to all of our lives and is always happy to see us. We
are all impressed how smart he can be and we enjoy his quirky
habits. He has made a difference in all of our lives and we are
looking forward to many happy years with Elliot!
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