On having a dog's Trust

Zoe is my rescue girl -- she is a 6 year old Bichon Frise. This is a picture of her on her first day with me. She looks a bit scared, wary. And she was with good reason. She had come from a home of neglect and abuse. That was a year and a half ago. She now weighs more, relaxes all the time, frolics in the back yard, cuddles with gusto and shows no signs of her former hesitancy. Here she is watching Caesar Milan's "Dog Whisperer" on the bedroom TV.


There is something very touching about the fact that Zoe trusts me now, and that she feels this is her home. At night now she walks up to the crook of my arm on the bed, curls up inside it with her feet facing me and lays her head on my shoulder. Before she sleeps she just gazes at me a while, and I scratch her head softly, or rub her tummy a bit. Then she tucks her head into the space between our bodies and sleeps.

She is like a little white teddy-bear come to life. We both softly drift of to sleep together.

She taught me what a gift trust is. I had to give her a lot of room before she trusted me like this. I let her decide on her own that I was safe, and was not going to ever hurt her. Every step she made toward trust was met with quiet affection. And then. one day, she gave it up -- snuggled in earnest, wiggled to get closer, put her head down and gave a deep and sweet sigh.

I love that she has been saved from a bad life. I am thankful that she shows her trust, and when she does I feel very moved.

It seems to me there is a lot of love in this word waiting to be rescued -- dogs, cats, horses, people. There are many of God's creatures that just need a bit of affirming space to grow and to develop. A few meals, a safe place to sleep, a helping hand -- and beings change.