The Harley-Quinn Liberation

Her warm puppy kisses on my nose were all I needed to fall in love.

Harley Quinn.

I'd like to elaborate on what I believe to be true of Harley's past.

1. She was born from a puppy mill someone within the Greater Toronto Area.

2. To some degree, she was being abused by her pervious owners.

3. She was in need of a forever home that would show her unconditional love.

My ex-fiance and I made the decision that it was time to grow our lives with the company of a pup. We searched and searched, trying to find a rescue dog that would fit into our lifestyle and work schedules. As much as we would have loved to adopt ALL the dogs we met and as dire as many of their situations were, it was important for all lives involved that we could share our time with an animal that we felt, was the right one.

We found Harley online through a site that notoriously sells items, goods and in this case, lives. Clicking the link, my eyes grew wider as I seen a small, tiny helpless creature that was to young and to skinny to have any business being traded for money. My ex looked over at me and immediately suggested we contact the seller and get this pup into a home where she can be properly taken care.

Hopping in the car and putting the location into Google Maps, we began to drive.

Meeting Harley for the first time was as beautiful as it was upsetting. The person selling her to us had zero manners or tact and you could clearly see that all she wanted to do was make money off this dog. We, being people at the time who had plenty of money, almost wanted to throw the bills at her and run with Harley as fast as we could. Instead of that, we slowly approached this puppy and tried to acquaint ourselves with her. It didn't take more then 60 seconds to see Harley was the perfect fit for our home. Her previous name was KALI. According to her previous owner, she was one letter short of KALID, after DJ KALID. His music is good but Harley didn't look like a Kali and her attitude wasn't reflective of her name. Being Harley Quinn fans we decided fairly quickly what her new name would be and I like to think that she loves it.

Skinny. Small. And on her way home; Harley sat upright in my exes lap as she licked her face and pawed at her cheeks. She was excited to finally be around people who genuinely wanted to be around her. We took her to the park for the first time as a family and let Harley run around the field unencumbered by any restrictions she may have had in the past. After, we made her a raw food bowl, not too much as we didn't want to upset her stomach, and let her enjoy it without prying eyes focus on her every move.

5 years later and not much has changed with Harley. She has a brother and sister now, which I know she loves due to the sneaky cuddle sessions she inserts herself in when they're sharing a blanket.

Without Harley, I think I would've never truly found a certain peace in my life. The zen realization that all life is sacred and all creatures on this earth have a personality and are their own characters.

Harley's unconditional love and quirky attitude is beautiful and I'm forever grateful she entered my life.