I think all of our dogs are lucky and once in a while, very, very lucky. Ziggy, a senior Pomeranian and Chihuahua mix with bad teeth was intercepted at the Orange County Shelter. He did not look healthy and although he was no more than 4 pounds, I knew he was destined for the soap factory or, at best, a rotten life with an unscreened adopter. His owner had moved to a non-pet friendly apartment. She said she had left Ziggy with relatives and acknowledged that they did not take care of him.
I offered to find a home for Ziggy and his owner placed him in my car. I knew someone would want him sooner or later, and it did prove to be later, about 8 months later. Ahhh… the gift of time.
Poochmatch Volunteer Lisa Jasso provided Foster care. (Many Thanks!) We had his teeth cleaned, blood tested and gave him medicine for a thyroid condition which was causing the loss of hair. Within a couple of weeks, he started to look much healthier.
One day, I received a call from Sheila, a Park Avenue resident in Manhattan, NY. She was enamored. She’d seen him on our website and it was love at first sight.
I didn’t think it was plausible, but since I would be attending a wedding on the other coast at the end of November, I told her that if she could wait until then, I would deliver Ziggy to her. Realistically, I did not think the adoption would materialize – surely she would lose interest or find another dog, but it was meant to be. His new mom paid our adoption fee and covered the cost of his airfare.
Initially, Ziggy was very scared, but he quickly evolved into a loving, playful, and well-mannered dog. He’s now enjoying life on Park Avenue in mid-town Manhattan. He has a view of the Empire State Building plus a terrace he will surely enjoy when the weather gets warmer and Sheila adores. Who would have guessed!
The moral of this story… While Ziggy may not have been valued in the Inland Empire or Orange County, he surely had value outside of our geographic area!
PS… Check out the photos. I hid him in my travel bag before entering the building to avoid taking the ‘Service’ elevator. It was a hoot!
