Ruby Rescued Us

Just before Christmas of 2014 our beloved 14-year-old Border Collie passed away from injuries suffered after being attacked by a neighbor’s dog. It was a devastating loss and one made even more so by the fact that it was just before the holidays. On top of that, Anker moved back and forth across the country with us on three occasions. In short, he was our “wingman” and an amazing friend to our entire family.

I remember sitting in the diner a few hours after we sat with him during his final hours. Our children were in tears as were my wife and I. It was a week before Christmas, and we could not even muster the strength to put up our tree.

Shortly thereafter, friends associated with Rescue Rover in Salt Lake City, started sending us links to dogs in need of a home. Initially we felt it was too soon. But that feeling quickly went away when we got a glimpse of Ruby and her seven siblings who had just been taken in by a foster family just a few miles from our house.

We “visited” with the foster family and the dogs were gated in the kitchen. But one puppy found her way out somehow and dropped right in my lap. And we knew right away that this was meant to be. She had a way about her that was too much to resist. As with all good rescue operations, we had to go thru the process and fill out the paperwork. But shortly thereafter, she was home and we named her “Ruby”.

That was six years ago and she has brought us more joy that any of us could imagine. She ends up being part GSP and part Border Collie (no wonder we loved her right away) and in turn, became our new trail running and hiking partner. She seems to smile in an almost human way, and is the most positive creature I have ever met – be it of the two or four legged nature.

What we discovered is that we were not rescuing Ruby but rather she was rescuing us. Joy returned to our home and we started to feel like a family again. And one that was not complete without a dog in the clan.