It’s been 10 months since we adopted Indie. As you can see, she is doing pretty well.
I’m not sure when Indie’s real birthday is, but we will celebrate in March: That will mark the one-year anniversary of her adoption from the Erath County Humane Society.
Adopting Indie from the animal shelter has brought unexpected joy to our lives. I fell head over heels in love with her the moment a picture of her landed in my inbox.
Without a word to The Husband, I headed to the animal shelter to meet her.
Our first encounter was not what I had hoped for.
There was no sense of kismet or any of those love-at-first-sight vibes that are supposed to happen when you adopt a pet.
In fact, the moment ECHS executive director Serena Wright placed Indie in my arms, she fought like a tiger to get away.
But that didn’t stop me from signing the adoption papers.
With Indie officially a Vanden Berge, we headed home, where she promptly ran to a bathroom and hid behind the toilet.
The next few days were rough.
She barely ate and only left the bathroom to dart to our bedroom and hide under the comforter when she thought no one was looking.
The harder I tried to coax her into spending time with us, the harder she fought, so we left her completely alone.
We placed her bed, litter box and food in the bathroom then gave her the time and space she needed to adjust to her new surroundings.
Slowly, she came out of her shell and began to trust me.
She stopped trying claw my eyes out months ago, and now rarely leaves my side.
Indie and I recently bonded over our shared love of all things Christmas. She sat on top of the couch for hours just staring at the Christmas tree.
Last night, she curled up on my lap on a furry bean bag and stared at the fire while I read a book.
It was a moment of pure peace and contentment for both of us.
The Erath County Humane Society is overflowing with dogs and cats.
If you have room in your heart and home to adopt a pet into your family, I promise you won’t regret it.
You might just find that you need them more than they need you.
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