Sweetheart - Named by Nature

December 12, 2018 I was driving home from work exhausted. I had worked a 12 hour shift and have an 1.5 hour commute each way. I just wanted to get home and hopefully get a little sleep before the Body shop called to tell me that my van was ready. 22 days before a deer ran into the right front passenger side of my van and did $5800 in damage. I had been in a rental car since and was anxious to get MY van back.

They had been working on the road that I normally would take through the woods to my house but didn't post signs until about 100 feet before. It had been going on for over a month and I was having to take a different way adding 20 minutes to my drive. I hoped that maybe by now they would be done so I took a chance and turned down that road. I drove hoping not to see the Road Closed sign.

Not long before I approached the sign I spotted a dog that I had never seen before. From a distance I could see it going through someone's garbage cans but since the dog was on someone's property I figured it belonged to them. I continued down the road only to find ROAD CLOSED. I made a U turn and as I began back up the road the dog came running out into the road. I froze in my tracks and cried. I had never seen a dog so skinny before and I've taken in many dogs in horrid shape. I pulled over and parked. The rental car company made it clear NO ANIMALS in the rental but I didn't care. I called out to the dog, "Are you okay sweetie?" She turned and came towards me. I saw someone in the yard she had been in and asked if she belonged to them. They told me that she had been dumped about a month before and she wouldn't let anyone near her. I didn't have that problem, she came right to me.

I reached out to her, petting her head and I told her everything would be okay. I slid opened the door to the van but she didn't even have enough energy or strength to climb in. I bent down and picked her up. She was so light I had to make sure I actually had a hold of her. I placed her in the van and began to drive home. I talked to her to keep calm and let her know that she was safe. When I arrived home I got her out and let her in the dogs play area. She went straight for the food. She only ate a few bites and drank a little water and we headed inside. She wasn't too sure what to think of the other dogs as they barked and howled at my return and was afraid to go through the doorway. There was something about Pavarotti though that put her at ease. She went straight over to his crate and laid in front of it.

I typically keep dogs that I bring home away from the others until I get them checked out by the vet but she was afraid of everyone and everything except me and Pavarotti, so I made an exception and allowed him out with her. I let her outside to eat whenever she wanted but she never wanted to be far from me or Pavarotti. Vanna, one of my other dogs, kindly gave her crate up for Sweetheart. I patiently worked with her to get her to realize that she was safe and would be okay. She was afraid of being touched and shook with fear for the first couple of days. After a few days I tried to get her to lay on my lap. She was very suspicious and even though she was terrified she allowed me to place her on my lap. She began shaking uncontrollably. I talked to her in a soothing voice and asked if she'd like to be covered up and told her that Pav (Pavarotti) likes to be covered up. I grabbed a blanket and gently began lowering it on to her and she let out a blood curdling scream that instantly brought tears to my eyes. She jumped straight up in the air as if she had been shocked. I grabbed her and held her tight and told her that it was okay, that nobody was going to hurt her ever again. I couldn't even began to imagine what could have happened to her to make her so terrified of a blanket or of being covered up.

She watched my interaction with the other dogs and their interaction with each other and relaxed more each day. I took her to the vet and even though she was scared and confused, she did great. I was actually surprised at her weight but pleased that she was otherwise in good shape. She did have hook worms so we got medication for that and she got her rabies and parvo shot. I slowly introduced her to the other dogs a couple at a time. After 8 days she went outside with us for the first time. She hid behind the bushes and watched. When she saw the dogs start to wrestle she got scared and jumped my fence and bolted.

I quickly got the other dogs in the house, jumped in my van and went to look for her. I live in the woods so was worried that if she got in the woods that she'd get lost, hurt, killed or who knows what. I was cursing myself for not sticking closer to her. She had already gained several pounds and her energy level was up but I didn't think she was strong enough to jump the fence. I was wrong and now she was in danger and lost. I got to the end of my road and turned left. I traveled a little ways and then turned around in an empty lot. As I was sitting there contemplating which way to go, wondering where she was a truck came flying down the road, weaved over and slammed into my van. The truck actually pushed my van into the road and about 50 feet as it basically ripped the front almost completely off. I immediately called my insurance company who sent a tow truck and arranged for a rental car. I just needed to find Sweetheart, I could care less about my van or anything else. I called work to tell them I'd be late. The tow truck driver dropped me off at the rental car company and they had everything ready to go for me. I signed the papers, jumped in and was off.

The 30 mile drive home was agony. I was in tears worrying about Sweetheart and feeling like I had failed her. As I got close to my house I called out for her as I drove down the road. Nothing. I pulled in my driveway and broke down crying. I didn't know where to look, where she'd go. I turned off the van and as I turned to open the door I saw her. There she was. She was sitting inside the fence, shaking, crying, looking terrified. I ran to her, picked her up and held her tight. I told her to NEVER do that to me again. I told her if something scared her to go inside, to come to me but to NEVER scare me like that again. I carried her in the house and we sat down and she held onto me so tight. I didn't think she was ever going to let me go. I kissed her cheek and told her that I loved her and would never let anything happen to her or let anyone hurt her ever again. She got down from my lap and laid down in her crate, she was exhausted. I gathered my composure and got ready for work.

I hated to leave her, I hate leaving any of them ever but I gotta work. I told them all I loved them and would be back in the morning. It was the last day of work before we shut down for 10 days over Christmas and New Years. After that night Sweetheart changed. It was like that night she realized that I meant what I said, that I really did love her and would protect her.

The next few weeks she came out of her shell and the transformation was nothing short of miraculous. She went from sickly, starving, scared, shy dog to a leader who loved being hugged, kissed and cuddled. No longer did she hide from the others but she sought them out. She would get the others to run laps in the play area until they dropped from exhaustion, she even began wrestling them. When she slept or just laid down to sunbathe she was always with at least one other dog.

From the day I brought her home she would get in the kiddie pool I use for dog food and lay in the food to eat, sometimes she'd even sleep in it. I have always thought that is her way of reminding herself that she never has to go hungry again.

Sweetheart has been with me for 2 years and 4 months but it feels like she's always been with us. She definitely makes her feelings known and is very expressive. She has turned into quite the character. She came into my life and changed everything and I wouldn't want it any other way. My van was totaled that night I went looking for her. It was my dream van but it didn't matter to me, all that mattered was Sweetheart. I would do it all over again even if I knew the outcome because no vehicle is more important than her or any of my other dogs. To me, they are family.

Oh, and her name came from the heart shaped spot on her side. When she was skinnier it was much more evident as a heart but as she's gained weight it's gotten a little stretched out but I like her happy, healthy, and not just surviving but thriving. So heart shaped mark or not, she will always and forever be my Sweetheart.