You’re Not Meant For Everyone

At a previous veterinary clinic I worked at, I overheard a woman tell her timid Great Dane, “you’re not meant for everyone.” I thought that was some deep, meaningful stuff, and I applied it to my own rescue dog and eventually myself.

It began when my fiancée and I filled out a form to adopt a dog. She wanted a medium to large lab type, and I wanted a pug. We compromised and opened our heart to the next fairly young dog that needed a home. The only condition was that we have two rescue cats, so their safety was our main focus. ENTER KAZOOEE.

Yes, I’m starting with a heartbreakingly sad face picture, don’t worry, it gets better.

Kazooee (named Roscoe at the shelter) was picked up as a stray with no known history. He wasn’t fostered first, which meant we were adopting him not quite knowing his behaviour (spoiler alert, the only thing we asked for, getting along with other animals, was not his thing). He was around 1 years old, unneutered, and with an umbilical hernia scar. While we will never know his history for sure, some signs point to him being a country dog, possibly used for breeding, kept outside or at least used to it, and possibly abused.

It was a painstakingly jumbled clusterf*ck at the start (forgive me mom for swearing). The process of adoption felt rushed and we felt like we were thrown into things. He had behavioural issues, allergies, GI issues, and loved chasing his sisters. He would try to lunge at strangers and was terrified of most things. One night I came home and approached him from the side, probably too quickly, and he bit my lip. I never once blamed him, it was totally all on me, but at that point we were contemplating taking him back to the shelter. I was really wondering if his behaviour was safe enough for our cats.

Something changed. I can’t pinpoint the exact moment, but we knew that he was staying with us, and we were his forever home. I had to come to terms with my own pre-conceived notion of my ideal dog. Kazooee needed extra care and attention. He was not the most sociable and wasn’t suitable for dog daycare or any pet friendly social activities. That’s okay.
Because he’s not meant for everyone.

I could care better for our baby boy knowing that he isn’t meant to get along with every single person and animal on the planet. He doesn’t have to say hello to other people or dogs. He doesn’t have to be pet every time. He loves the people he trusts, and he gets along better with his cat sisters. We’re teaching him to be brave during his needed interactions, when we pass by someone on our walk, when we go to the vet. This is a lot of work, and quite the ongoing endeavor. Another thing I’ve learned is that people who say ‘adopt, don’t shop,’ have probably never had to take care of a special needs dog. I’d say adopt if it works with your situation, cause I have to admit, I sure as hell wasn’t ready.

Kazooee has blossomed into the bestest boy. He loves car rides, he makes sure to inspect the groceries when we bring them in. He loves spending time with his favourite people, and running around outside. He gets really excited watching my fiancée or I go down a slide. He still has fears (signs, the wind, fireworks, tires, balloons, bare feet sometimes), but he’s conquering them one at a time. And he’s staring at me as I type this, right at this moment.

Kazooee baby boy, you are not meant for everyone, and I am not meant for everyone. We’re meant for those who are meant for us.