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Cleo chose her own name!

We said goodbye to our Lab/Shepherd mix, Ber (Beretta) on Sept 24/20 after 9 Amazing years. The house felt much too quiet and so empty. We still MISS him beyond words. We decided to honour his life by adopting another rescue. We applied online to NDR. Dave Filek responded. He was very informative and patiently guided us to Betsy, a Black Lab/Terrier mix. My husband Fred picked her up on Jan 9th/21. It was obvious that the NDR Volunteers work tirelessly to help give these dogs a new lease on life. Not only are they caring, but they are extremely well organized. Betsy was understandably tired and quite timid. Fred was advised to secure her to the headrest in the truck as he drove from Niagara back to the GTA. As soon as he reached the highway, he released her. She sat beside him & leaned into his shoulder where she remained until they arrived home. She immediately trusted me to wash her face with a warm cloth & accepted a little snack (steak strips). Then she met her smaller but older sister Honey. who soon asserted herself as Alpha and engaged Betsy in play. Betsy did not respond to her name so we tried out several new ones, one after the other. When I said Cleo (Cleopatra) she immediately turned to face me, choosing her own name! That night she shared her first meal with her new sister: Beef Stew. She liked that! She paced for weeks, not sure where she was allowed to sit, sleep, rest. We placed an extra bed in the foyer where she could be alone if she felt overwhelmed, letting her settle in & explore at her own speed. Because of COVID there was limited interaction with other people & dogs - but she met some neighbours plus some family ranging in age from 3 to 93 and she loved them all. No jumping, no licking, just waggy-tailed interest. The pacing lessened over the first couple of months but she still wanted no part of climbing the stairs to the 2nd floor. The stairs are slippery hardwood so I installed carpet treads in mid February; by April she finally made it all the way upstairs! Fast forward 6 months: She’s claimed several places to rest/sleep, often beside one of us on the couch or bed. She flies up & down the stairs, she’ll eat anything my hand offers her. She’s developed a passion for chasing squirrels so she pulls A LOT when she sees one but otherwise, her calm presence, grunts & other adorable sounds makes her a great blessing in our lives. Her goofy side comes out as she rolls over on her back & wiggles while getting belly rubs! Cleo brings laughter & joy into our home every day and is loved by all who meet her! We have no idea how she came to be available but are so grateful to be the lucky recipients of her trust & love! Thank you Dave! Thank you NDR!