A Recovering Achilles is our November 11, 2018 Pup of the Week

Sometimes your pet mom rescues a dog from the streets, the pup takes to you right away, and you become best friends. Sometimes it is apparent from the moment you are introduced that the two of you are not compatible. And sometimes things go very wrong.

Momma Elisa is a Level One dog rescuer as recognized by the Rainbow Bridge Rescued Dogs Association.  She would put her own life in danger to rescue a pup. But she would never put one of her own babies at risk.  Unfortunately, that was the consequence of her latest rescue
.
Momma Elisa, like many of our moms, cannot bear to see an unloved, malnourished, homeless pup.  She has a type of OCD when it comes to dogs. Like someone who has to move the salt and pepper shakers when they are misaligned or change the toilet paper when it is hanging incorrectly when Momma Elis sees a homeless dog, she cannot resist the urge to bring it the love and comfort of a family.

She had frequently seen one such pup at a park near her house. She knew this dog would make a magnificent new family member for someone if she could only coax him to trust her.  After many attempts, this stray trusted Momma Elisa enough to go home with her.

There were already three dogs in the house when Momma Elisa brought the newly rescued dog home. She watched as the first two dogs interacted with the new member without incident.  If this dog got along with the larger siblings, certainly Momma Elisa’s third pup would not be a problem.

Achilles is a dog much like me.  Small, perhaps even the dreaded word foofy applies, but we are all heart, with a spirit that will not allow us to back down to any challenge.  I don’t know who laid down the challenge: If it was the new dog, Achilles, or just playing time that went wrong, but Achilles was attacked and had to be rushed to the vet’s where he was diagnosed with two broken legs and needed surgery.

At first, Momma Elisa kept the news of the attack to a few people.  While she was finding other living arrangements for the new dog, and worrying about her baby, she was afraid that, if this story hit the Internet, people would stop rescuing dogs in fear that their dog would get injured too.

That is the risk that people who rescue dogs take, not only that one of their babies will be hurt, but they can be mauled too.  It does not happen often, and a champion dog from the finest breeder can also clash with and injure an established dog too. True, hero, dog rescuers, like Momma Elisa, accept these risks, because they are doing the Lord’s work, bringing together God’s most perfect creatures and worthy humans.

Achilles is back home and is rapidly recovering.  A little thing like being attacked is not going to slow down lap dogs like Achilles and me.  And Momma Elisa is still looking for dogs that need help and saving them.

She will take extra care introducing the new dog to the mighty Achilles because he may be small, but he is fierce.