Seven years ago today, at 9:00 am on a Saturday morning, Lynn (my daughter) and I stood in a commuter parking lot along with fifty or so other people, waiting for a transport truck.  It was almost 9:00 on the dot when the truck pulled into the lot and started the precious process of uniting abandoned and neglected dogs with their new owners.

When I saw the size of the trailer and realized how many dogs were on there, I finagled my way to the front of the line and handed over my paper work and leash.

“Ginny” they called out and a minute later I held her leash in my hand.  Little did I know, just how much our lives were going to change.

I didn’t know I wouldn’t fall in love with her on sight, or that she’d be a wild, unmanageable mess, or that I would cry almost the entire first day.

I didn’t know that when she and Sampson finally connected that first day, I would once again be moved to tears, but these would be tears of happiness.

I didn’t  know Delilah (as she was now called) would challenge me with almost every training situation we faced or that finding the right training technique for her would lead me to some amazing, positive trainers.

I didn’t know the challenges we would face with leash reactivity, or just how motivated one dog could be by food.

I didn’t know just how many times in a day a person could say, “Damn it, Delilah!”

In fact, that first day, I did not know until I actually watched her struggle to stay awake whether I would even keep her.

I didn’t know just how much I needed her.

She makes me mad, she makes me cry, she makes me laugh and she makes me so damn proud.  But mostly, she just makes me so glad I wiggled my way to the front of that line 7 years ago.

Happy 7th Gotcha Day Delilah, I love you to the moon and back.