My name is Oliver, and I have a tale to tell.

Things around my house were changing fast. The children were grown and gone, the house was up for sale, and things were being boxed and taken away. It was all very perplexing.

Then, one morning, something shocking happened.

A stranger arrived in a car. She knocked on the door, and I joyfully greeted her. She was really nice and I could sense that she was a dog person. My owner told her all kinds of wonderful things about me. I was proud.

Then, suddenly, my stuff was all being loaded into the car. My owner told me to jump in, and I love car rides, so I did.

Then it got weird. The visitor hugged my owner and said it would all be OK. She got in the car and said, “Oliver, we’re going for a ride in my car”. It was fun for a while, and then a strange feeling came over me.

Where was I going with this person, and why? I whined a little. The nice lady said, “It’s OK Oliver, you’re safe and you’re going to my house for a while.”

Well, it was a nice drive, so I settled down.

We arrived at a house I had never been to before. The lady took me and my things inside.

I was so confused.

After a while, the lady sat in a chair and invited me up in her lap. I love laps, so I jumped up and looked at her. She looked into my eyes and said, “Oliver, your life has just taken a big turn, but none of this is your fault. This is your foster home for now, and I will keep you safe.”

Now, you might be thinking, why would she tell me this when dogs aren’t supposed to understand human-speak. Maybe I do and maybe I don’t, but I do know a good heart, kind words and a gentle tone of voice.

Suppertime came and I was fed.

A man came in the door. I was shy at first, but the lady was calm and she introduced us, and then I knew that the man belonged here.

Bedtime came, and the people bade me goodnight and went off to their bed. It was comfortable and quiet, so I settled down to sleep.

The next morning, the people greeted me softly, took me outside to do my business, brought me back in, and fed me breakfast.

I looked around sensing that this was my new normal. I felt safest when the new lady was touching me, so I stayed very close to her.  I was still confused, but I did start to feel better, and I liked this new lady.

The next day, we went to visit a veterinarian. He checked me all over and said that I was a very healthy senior dog.  He smiled and said, “Be careful, this dog is really smart and he could end up training you.”    

By the third day of my fostering, the couple talked about me a lot. They said what a perfect dog I’d be for their family, that I was a perfect size, I was so mannerly, so well-trained, and so gentle.

On the fourth day, the kindly couple asked me if I wanted to be their dog.  All I knew was that I was at ease, and that this friendly little house would be a good place to live. It was settled. I was adopted, and now I have my furever home.