Kacey’s name had been listed with the animal shelter for several months. She saw a rabbit when I had her on a leash. One moment I was standing up, and the next I was flat on the gravel path. She was too dangerous for me to keep after David moved out. Her health was endangered because I couldn’t exercise her.

The call came to bring her in the day daughter Kate and I were burning garden trash. We had 48 hours to lavish love on her before we released her for adoption. It was bittersweet. Each last thing was noticed, from the last time I fed her to opening the car door to leave. Kacey was with Kate before bedtime, then she was on my bed waiting for me to go to sleep. As usual, she slept near my bed until my alarm went off. When I was on the floor exercising, she pushed her head into my lap before flopping down for me to rub her belly. She gulped down a couple of bites of breakfast on my plate after waiting patiently for me to finish eating. Getting in the car was exciting, as was the drive to the shelter.

Kacey realized things were unusual when a worker struggled to get a leash on her. She barked a couple of times, then she pulled the woman toward the door of the shelter, never looking back. Lise interpreted that as straining forward for the next big adventure of her life.

I am praying that an active family will adopt her, people who will provide a stimulating environment and let her run outside as fast as the wind. I hope new people will love the feel of her thick fur and see the beautiful curl of her tail. She will lean against them for petting and do a special dance with her feet and sign of her head to go outside. She will learn to fit into their schedule and try to become the dog of their dreams. Goodbye, dear Quesadilla Puppydog. I will love you and remember you for the rest of my life.