Tails from the Front: Goofy Girl Ramona lives the Good Life ( after a rough start)

Ramona was a very good dog who had the misfortune of being born in a poor, rural area where dogs like Ramona were used for breeding and never allowed to do anything else.  Because she was a good girl and did not complain, Ramona was kept in a dark room off a gas station and used to breed litter after litter of puppies.  After about five years of this, for some reason her "owners" were done with her and called a local shelter.  "Come get her or we will get rid of her".  And in that backwater area, "get rid of" was a very nasty euphemism.

The local pound (you really would not call that place a shelter) was packed.  No room at the inn.  As an owner-relinquished dog, and an older one at that, Ramona would have been marched right back to the euthanasia room and put down.  So the local animal control officer called every rescue he could think of.  Ramona lucked out. Fortunately, a nice lady in Wisconsin drove down to southern Illinois on no notice to pick up Ramona and take her home to Wisconsin until she could figure out what to do.

Ramona went to the Wisconsin house and went to the local vet, who said Ramona was blind and heartworm positive.  Ramona also walked around and around in tight circles- she could not walk a straight line- the result of only being to walk around a small dark room for all her life.  But Ramona showed nothing but joy and love for everyone around her.  She loved dogs, she ignored cats, she loved children, she loved people.  And most of all, Ramona loved being a dog.  "Gosh" she thought, "this being able to run around and be out in the sunlight and have toys is great!".  And so Ramona enjoyed herself and made the best of things.

People in rescue network a lot.  One day the lady who had taken in Ramona got an email from a woman in Illinois.  The Illinois woman had taken in a dog ( also on his last day at a pound) who was waaaay too rambunctious for her old dogs.  Would the Wisconsin lady trade? And so Ramona went to live in the northern suburbs of Chicago.

At her new home, Ramona was still walking in circles .  But she was so happy, and so goofy, and so sweet, that her new foster mom knew everything that could be done for her had to be done.  So Ramona went to the eye doctor who did all sorts of tests and announced "she isn't blind.  She just hasn't had a chance to use her eyes and their muscles have not developed.  Encourage her to watch things and be a dog.  In time her eye muscles will strengthen and she will be able to follow things".  And so Ramona sat on the sofa and "watched" the children play outside.  Ramona was being treated for heartworm and had to be kept quiet, so the sofa was a perfect spot.  At first she just cocked her head and followed the children's voices, but in time it was clear that she saw them!  And she was so happy to see them!

After she finished her heartworm treatment, Ramona was also encouraged to run outside with the other dogs.  Chase chipmunks, chase a tennis ball ( foster mom had a squeaky tennis ball so that Ramona could follow the sound), be a dog.  Although at first Ramona could only walk in tight circles, after several months she was walking several miles, all in a straight line, and all the while happily greeting people and being as sweet as could be.

Now Ramona acts like a normal, goofy, happy, dog.  She will always be a little clumsy (having never developed good "hand-paw" coordination at a young age), but she makes up for it with sweetness, puppy-like joy, and sheer happiness at being a dog.  She has a few scars from her old ordeals but she has forgotten about all that.  She is happy now.

Now that she is rehabilitated, Ramona is up for adoption through Young at Heart Pet Rescue.  Check out her website http://yahpetrescue.com/adopt-a-dog-or-cat/dogs/ and see whether this goofy girl might live the good life with you!  She will certainly make you smile, and maybe turn you a little goofy, too!  Good girl, Ramona.