Eight years ago my husband, our daughter and I went to a Farmers Market in Oak Park, IL. We were looking for cheese, vegetables, and books (the library was hosting used book sale). We got our veggies and cheeses and were walking to the book sale when we came upon an adoption event for the shelter where we had adopted our last 2 pets, Animal Care League. One of the volunteers had the only skinny beagle I have ever seen on a leash. It was love at first sight. When we heard her backstory we had to have her. She was between 2 and 3 years old, and was picked up by animal control on the street in Berwyn, Il. According to the vet, she had given birth to at least 2 litters of pups. Because we had a history with the shelter we were immediately approved on the one condition that she and our daughter’s dog could get along. I stayed at the event while my husband and daughter went home and got her dog. They did OK together, so Chloe came home with us. Chloe and our cat, Princess, became best friends.
We faced many challenges, most in the first 2 years with Chloe. She could not be caged, panicked as soon as the door was closed, and wet and defecated. She got into the garbage any time we left the room. She is terrified of loud noises; thunder, fireworks, trucks, or motorcycles. (She has no fear of the vacuum cleaner.) She ate through a hollow-core door to get into the closet we kept the dog food in.
We stuck to our commitment of being her forever home, and she rewarded us by being the most loving gentle dog I have ever known.
CRETE, IL
