I'm only six months old and I have already done a lot of living! I won't go into the details of how I ended up at the shelter in the first place. The story of how my life began is sad and I don't want you to feel sad for me. Instead, I'll tell you about how I got to the best place in the world - that's where I live now.
The shelter is a scary place for a dog, even more scary for a dog that can't see or hear like me. I didn't understand what was going on, so I would bark a lot and turn in circles. The people there were really nice to me, but it was hard for me. One nice lady would bring me into her office, I'd lay under her desk and chew on the wires to her computer.
Someone called a foster parent came to get me and took me to his house. There were lots of other doggies there and I did pretty good, but it wasn't my forever home. After a while, I left that place and went to live with some other people. Supposedly, they had experience with dogs like me. I was scared of my new place and I barked and circled and couldn't be calmed down. Those people didn't like it, so they took me back to the shelter after just 4 days. I was really confused, but I knew that wasn't my forever home either. I stayed with my foster family again for a few days and then found myself back at the shelter in a big room.
All of a sudden, I smelled a new person. She sat down on the floor and I layed down in her lap. It was my mom and I knew it right away. She touched me with more emotion than anyone else ever had before. I knew she loved me and she loved me a lot. Then I smelled a man and TWO doggies. They were my family. All of them. I ran in big circles and barked! I showed them how I could map out a room and figure things out. Then I showed them how I could pee!!
A few days later, my mom and dad came to get me and they took me home. Even though I knew it was my forever home, I was still scared. I didn't know my way around and there were lots of new smells. When I get scared and confused, I run in tight circles. Its a really bad habit and I was hoping my mom and dad would help me kick it! Every time I started to circle, they would stop me and give me a treat while they patted my side.
My name at the Shelter was Pinky. My mom and dad changed my name - I was really glad they didn't name me Helen or Keller - that's what lots of blind/deaf dogs are named and I wanted something original. My mom found the name Asha - it means life and hope. She said that's what I deserve. So now my name is Asha. I've never heard it, but sometimes mom my will put her mouth on my neck and say my name. I really like that!
I spent the first couple days mapping out my house. Now, a month later, I can run around and don't run into too many things. I know where the steps are and how much deck I have before I have to step off on to the grass.
The first night at my forever home was a really tough one. I couldn't settle down. I did a lot of circling that night. My mom slept on the floor most of the night with me. I peed and pooped a couple times because I couldn't hold it and didn't understand how things work around here.
I was so hungry and when they put food down for me, I would lay on the floor and bury my head in the bowl. They fed me regularly and eventually I wasn't so ferocious about it. I eat puppy food, but I prefer the food that my brother and sister (Buster and Maggie) get.
I LOVE to play with Maggie and Buster. I like Maggie because she stays still. Buster moves a lot and barks at me. I am deaf, but I can totally hear his bark. It stops me in my tracks and I don't like to play after he does that. I think he is confused by me. He is getting better and we play a lot nicer now.
When my mom and dad weren't home, they put me in a crate...boy did I HATE that. I would scream bloody murder. After a couple days, my belly started to bother me and I had the runs. My parents had to go to work for a couple hours and when my mom got home, I was laying in my kennel and I was COVERED in poop. She took me out onto the deck, put me on her lap and gave me the best bath ever. She wasn't even mad at me. I know she really loves me. Don't tell her, but I liked the bath and I liked how fresh I smelled afterwards!
After that my mom and dad realized that the crate wasn't the best place for me. Now I have the run of the downstairs when they are gone. Buster and Maggie go upstairs in their crates, they like that best. Sometimes I get nervous when my mom and dad aren't there, but they leave stuff that smells like them and lots of toys for me. And really, I just sleep most of the time anyway!! The best part of my day is when I wake up and realize that my mom and dad are home. When I get a whiff of them, I go nuts until I can find them - then I wag my tail while they pet me and tell me what a good girl I am.
After about two weeks, I woke up in the middle of the night and I was having a seizure. After I came out of it, I could tell my mom and dad were really scared. They took me to the emergency room and they did lots of tests on me. I didn't mind because I was meeting all kinds of new people and they all smelled SO good!!! After being there all night, they couldn't find anything wrong with me. My mom and dad say they think I have epilepsy, but need to wait and see if I have another seizure. The seizures don't hurt, I just get really disoriented and tired after I have one. 10 days later, I had another one in the middle of the day. My vet says that if I have another one, I have to start taking medicine.
I still have trouble at night. I was having a lot of anxiety and did a lot of pacing. Just this last week, my mom and dad got some calming spray and also started bring a bowl of my food up to bed. That has made a huge difference. My mom says that I am now active at night instead of anxious. She means that I still wander around, but I'm not upset. I feel much more relaxed and I like that. I've slept through the night a few times and my mom and dad really liked that!! I don't do it most of the time though, usually one of them has to take me out to go potty during the night. Sometimes I am so tired that after I go, I just lay right down in the yard and fall alseep!!
I love to meet new people. I am not afraid of anyone! When I smell someone new, I want to jump on them and say hi! People always ask about me and want to know why my eyes look the way the do and how come I am white. My mom and dad always tell them that I am blind and deaf and how Austrailan Shepherd breeders irresponsibly create animals with problems like mine. People always feel sorry for me and they tell them not to feel sorry, because I'm not sorry. I LOVE my life!!!
My favorite quote is this: "I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself. A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough without ever having felt sorry for itself."
I may be deaf and blind and epileptic, but I am not dumb. I am very very smart. I know how to sit, lay down and come. I can walk nicely on a leash. I know where my mom, dad, brothers and sisters are at all times. I can do all the things other dogs can do. I am a puppy and get into just as much trouble as any other puppy would. I do hate to be in a crate, probably more than anything else and I'll bark my head off if you put me in there. But other than that, I am a pretty good doggie.
My dad says that I'm turning into a dog because I'm growing up so fast. Most dogs like me never get a chance at life. People think that because I can't see or hear that I don't have any reason to live. Boy, are they wrong. I have so much fun all the time. I can play and enjoy treats. I don't know what I am missing and so I don't care! I really like to be with my mom and dad. They really love me a lot. They love all of us alot. The others and I know that we are really lucky to be living this life. I can't wait to see what life holds for me. I know that the people at the shelter were worried that I would not find a good home. And I didn't find a good home...I found a great home and I want to live here forever.
1 comment:
Such a beautiful story! Thank you for sharing it, Asha! I am so happy you have found your forever home with your forever family. They obviously love you a lot. :)
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