Rocky and Mia, brother and sister Puggles, have been at Freedom Reins for about a month now.
Understanding their new life has come at their own pace. Life changed dramatically, the day they were surrendered to the shelter in St Maries ID. That day did not make them victims.
We have had many conversations about their life. Past and present.
I started by letting them know I believe in them and their ability to figure out all the change in their life. And, I would answer any questions they asked.
At first neither Mia or Rocky cared to converse with me. They spoke between themselves. Their close bond was getting them through.
On one occasion my husband and I were closely supervising them being loose together for a few minutes. In the blink of an eye they looked at each other and mutually decided to go look for their humans. They must be lost, the humans that is, for it was the only way Rocky and Mia could believe this was happening. So off they ran with my husband and I following for about a half mile through the neighbors uncut pasture trying to keep them in sight. When they allowed us close we assured them we would explain what we knew and no one else had yet told them. We then went home and began a difficult, yet necessary conversation.
We started the conversation by explaining to them that their humans, to the best of our knowledge, were not lost. That they had made the very hard decision to let someone else love them also because their lives had changed and their original family all staying together wasn't going to be possible. The husband and wife had divorced.
I told them no I couldn't imagine how they felt. I also wouldn't minimize what had happened. Only later when they could hear it did I ask if they would let us love them too. We didn't want to replace who they loved and missed.
Thus our lives began to blend. Rocky and Mia had lived in town before their life with us, they now lived in a rural area of Montana.
They found themselves living a very different life.
Our family already had two dogs, Ezzy, and Sophia. They knew the ropes of living with cats, horses, chickens, and ducks. Mia and Rocky had yet to learn. They caught on fast. After only a few corrections and the sharing of respect for everyone who live here, Rocky and Mia began new lives, now having jobs. Rocky loves his chores. He is amazing walking amongst the chickens and ducks in their house when we feed and collect eggs. Mia has taken to surveillance work in the horse paddock. After all you never know when a piece of horse manure might get out of line.
They have come along way. My husband and I believe in their ability to build a life in our now extended family. I answer any questions they have and talk about their past should they choose too.
Almost imperceptibly the change has begun in blurring the lines between Ezzy and Sophia, the two who also needed support and got it in growing their pack, and Rocky and Mia who now were part of a pack. The picture below is the beginnings of the blending.
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