August 22. “Gotcha Day” for Jack and Mimi (and The Gilmours).

Gotcha Day is the day on which a new member joins a family in the adoption process.

On June 8, 2020, Jack and Mimi were picked up as strays in Howard County MD. How long were they on their own? How did they become homeless? The answers, we don’t know. They arrived emaciated, had ear infections and both had severe perinodal disease with nearly all teeth in a state of decay. Their future was not bright. After two weeks in Animal Control, no one came to claim them. They were two days away from euthanasia when K Kid Dachshund Rescue stepped in.

Fast forward 75 days. Much has happened.  Jack and Mimi have been living with their foster family where they had a chance to decompress from life on the road and be reminded about how good it feels to be loved and nurtured. They had extensive dental surgery to remove all the infected teeth, which was all of them. Without that pain, both were able to eat and began to regain some of the weight they had lost. They were vaccinated. Microchipped. Had numerous physical exams by vets. Fecal, urine and comprehensive blood tests to check for parasites, heartworms and organ function.

These two 13-year old seniors received a clean bill of health and were ready to move ahead with adoption. Four great families submitted adoption applications for this bonded pair. Now, on August 22, they were going home to their perfect match.

The Gilmours traveled over two hours south from their home to rendezvous with us, Jack and Mimi’s foster parents, also traveling over two hours north from our home. We kept in touch throughout the trip to share our respective trip progress. At the designated location, Jack and Mimi were introduced to their new family wearing their “It’s My Gotcha Day!” bandanas. The pair then headed to their forever home where they will live out their golden years loved by people who met them for the very first time on that day in August. Of course, I worried that the pair that I fostered for over two months would miss us and feel lost. Ten minutes into their trip home, Jack and Mimi’s new “mom” sent me a picture of the dogs napping next to her in the car ride home. No worries, I thought. They’ll be just fine!

Happy life, Jack and Mimi.