There she was with her picture posted on the internet – gorgeous, young, and with her handsome smile. I’m speaking of course of my “Mollie the Collie,” a tri-color collie/border collie mix. I didn’t even know she wasn’t a full-breed collie. It didn’t matter. She was perfect, just the right size, and beautiful with her stunning long-haired coat.
I couldn’t get her out of my mind. She had already left an impression on me, her lovely face imprinted on my mind. I went back several days in a row checking to make sure she was still posted on the adoption web site. I pondered, “Should I or shouldn’t I take the plunge?” But who could resist that face? It was true: she had already stolen my heart.
So this is how our story began…I decided I wanted a dog, and she needed a home. Or was it the other way around? I needed a dog—a buddy, an everyday canine companion, somebody to go walking with, to fill that “void” in my life, and she wanted a home—one that would care for her, ensure her safety, provide for her health, give her warmth, shelter, food, playtime, and lots of TLC. You know what I mean, give her that “forever home” for which every pet yearns.
As if someone tapped me on the shoulder to say, “Hurry up already,” I decided to make my inquiry about Mollie with NEOCR. If I hesitated, I feared we would both be lost. I sent in an email expressing my interest in Mollie. I explained why I would like a dog. This wasn’t any dog, rather my very first dog that would be all mine. Being the long-time cat lover that I was (and still am), I felt a dog would complete the picture. Having previously rescued my cats, I felt it was Mollie’s turn to be rescued.
I filled out the application, we exchanged some phone calls, I waited for the vet reference check, and then the home visit. How exciting! I was actually adopting a dog! On the night of the home visit, if all went well, Mollie would be welcomed to her new home. And so it happened, and I officially signed the adoption papers. Betty, in all her wisdom, knew we had a match.
I still remember that first night…I could hardly wait for Mollie to arrive. I was so excited. In my anticipation, you would have thought I was bringing home a new baby. Betty and Mollie finally arrived. Mollie pattered up the sidewalk with springs in her feet. I remember how she excitedly did laps around my living room, dining room, and kitchen. Her big, billowy tail eagerly swished back and forth, and swished nearly nonstop since then. She curled up on the floor next to me, indulged me to stroke her long coat, and exposed her soft underbelly for a tummy rub.
Then came a moment of truth: We introduced her to Buffy, my seven-pound calico kitty. Mollie sat quietly on the floor while they sniffed noses. Buffy promptly came around the other side of Mollie, reached up and chomped Mollie’s ear as hard as she could! Mollie never winced, whined, or otherwise complained. She merely got up, walked around the other side of me, and lay down by my side. How gently she reacted, and here I was already expected to be her protector.
My niece, Becky, stopped by that night on her way home from college. Mollie had her first visitor. “Can you believe it? I have a dog!” I exclaimed. We both cooed and fussed over Mollie that first evening. It wasn’t long before Becky and Mollie were pals.
Later that night, I took Mollie on the first of many walks. The neighbors, however, disagree. They maintain that Mollie is the one that walks me every day. From our daily jaunts, we have gotten to know many of the neighbors and resident dogs. Consequently, Mollie has made many friends. In fact, we have a Mollie fan club. I couldn’t get over how one evening while walking the dog, one of the neighbors parked her car, jumped out to pet and hug Mollie, and then jumped back in the car to continue on her way. Wow, we weren’t together that long and we were already doing unofficial dog therapy.
Mollie and I made lots of memories together…like the first time I took her out in the snow. Oh how she frolicked, twirled and pranced about. Her lingering pawprints in the lawn were reminders of her happy spirit. Then we had our soggy-doggy days where pawprints in the kitchen reminded me of our rain-soaked walks. And who could forget the imprints in the comforter to let me know she lounged on the warmth of my freshly-made bed while I was away? We had some anxious memories, too, when I waited for the vet to call and let me know her biopsy was normal. And then there was the night she was really sick, and I slept on the floor next to her so she could wake me to take her outside every hour or so. I told my neighbor recently that I no longer remembered what life was like “B.D.” (before dog).
Yes indeed, Mollie and I made lots of tender memories together. From the time I found her on the internet until she first pattered up my sidewalk, she hasn’t stopped touching my life and leaving me with lasting impressions. Whether it's our daily walks, our playtime, our visits with the neighbors, or our car rides to Grandma’s house, she leaves her imprint on each person’s life. Her abounding exuberance and eagerness to jump in your lap every time she sees you makes her hard to resist or forget.
And it likewise occurred to me that for every dog that crosses NEOCR, there are those rescue volunteers who make it all possible and leave us with lasting impressions for their generous and caring spirits, kind hearts, tender compassion, and welcoming homes. For somewhere in their lives, their stories all started with a dog like Mollie who touched their hearts. And so the circle continues, and so it should, the rescued and the rescuers, the receiving and the giving back.
There are those people, and pets, who come into our lives, touch our hearts, and we are never, ever again the same because of it. We are ever grateful for the gift, thankful for the opportunity, and so much the better because of the experience. For wherever we go, and wherever our rescues go, we continually leave lasting Imprints on each other’s lives.
