Taylor was the eighth dog of 2018. You may remember his arrival. At three years of age, this Golden Retriever weighed just 40.8 pounds. He was emaciated and scared, but he instantly clung to our people.
Within minutes a tiny grin appeared. That was his true heart shining through.
There was nothing medically wrong with Taylor. Why he was so thin is still a mystery to us. We know he was kept in a kennel during the day – which we understand was long. But the surrendering reason was that he had killed a chicken. Perhaps he was hungry.
The line on the surrender form says: What would be the ideal home for this dog? The answer: “Someone that will love him.” Maybe that was a clue to his past – or perhaps, just a genuine wish for his future. Either way, it was fulfilled in the form of one of our volunteers. Taylor had seen enough of a kennel, and it wouldn’t be the best place for an obviously nervous dog that desperately needed to gain weight. So he went home with Jessica as a foster. As if.
A month later, he has gained ten pounds and is well on his way to full health. All he needed was love.
Most importantly, that tiny hint of a grin has turned into a full-blown smile.
Taylor is now Roo – named for the adorable, bouncy, baby kangaroo featured in Winnie the Pooh.
He’s goofy and playful like a puppy instead of a three-year-old.
From the moment Jessica and Taylor met, he was destined to be a foster failure. Taylor has indeed found “someone that will love him” – forever.
“As soon as I saw you, I knew an adventure was going to happen.” – A.A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh