Adopter Name

Deidra

Rescue Dog’s Name

Cairo

Where Did You Find Your Dog?

Big Dog Ranch Rescue in Wellington Florida sent her to live as a foster dog at Camp Bow Wow Tampa South Shore in Riverview, Fl (a whole 200 miles away).

Tell Us About the Moment When You Knew that You Two Were Meant for Each Other.

She must have known right when we met, but it took me a few months. We had a moment at work where she kind of stepped in and helped me patrol my play yard. Watching how happy she got showing off that she knew what to do was hilarious. I decided I’d adopt her if she hadn’t been adopted by Christmas. She was sent back to her rescue about a month later, and I knew then that I needed to fill out the application because I couldn’t miss it. I almost lost her a second time because she was no longer up for adoption by then, but fate intervened and she became available a couple of weeks later and I took it as my chance to adopt her a full month before I’d originally planned. When I brought her home, she fit right in with my other two dogs like she’d always belonged.

How Has Your Hero Changed Your Life?

As soon as I brought Cairo home, I started to see a lot of myself in her: She doesn’t like new things and when things don’t go as expected I get anxious. She really isn’t a fan of crowds, new people, or loud people and I’m the definition of introverted. She hated having her picture taken, so did I. She’s a complete goof when she’s comfortable…I’m a complete goof when I’m comfortable. She had a lot of work to do on her anxiety…I had some anxiety of my own to acknowledge. Because of these similarities, I’ve found myself making more progress in the two years I’ve had her than in the 19 that led up to adopting her. I see myself in her. I see my flaws in her and at the same time I see hope in her. I see the determination to work on those flaws, to accept them, to learn from them and to not be ashamed of them. When she makes progress, I make progress. When she has a setback, I learn that I can’t control or fix everything and we keep trying. We’re a positive feedback loop, and while I’m her rescuer, she’s my inspiration and my optimism. I love nothing more than to turn things around when people offer me pity for her “condition” and point out that she is more than that. She is a rescue, she came with some quirks but she’s by no means broken. If anything, it just gives her more personality. She’s gone from being terrified to be herself, to being goofy and athletic 80% of the time. The other 20% keeps both of us on our toes.