Enter, Matilda the Boston Terrier:
For a while now I've been creeping on a local Boston Terrier owners group on Facebook. I've wanted a Boston of my own for many years, and as a homeowner with somewhat stable planted roots I could theoretically make that dream a reality.
Someone posted in the group a link to a pet rescue site that 1 year-old Matilda was looking for a forever home. I did not jump, I lunged at the opportunity.
I saw the ad and applied for her on a Wednesday, and over the weekend the rescue asked if we'd like to "meet" her on Monday. We were there first thing (I'm serious when I say 'lunged') and much to my surprise and delight she came home with us that very morning!
Bostons are a somewhat rare breed in Australia, and rescued/adopted ones even rarer still. This girl is a snowflake and unicorn all wrapped in one.
The reason she was up for adoption?
Tilda, as I like to call her, was born with a cleft lip. Because of this, as a puppy she wasn't able to suckle. Therefore, in order to survive infancy cleft lip pups needs to be hand fed for the first six months of their life.
Which is exactly what Helping Paws Adoption Program did.
She's perfectly fine with it now. It doesn't impact her in any way, and there is no need to undergo the risk and expense of surgery to fix what is now purely cosmetic.
The only thing is she's a bit messy when she eats, spreading kibble around the bowl before eating it all up, but I'm not so quick to blame the cleft lip on that. I suspect she just eats fast because she's a little porker. Plus sometimes her tongue sticks out of it accidentally, super adorably.
Tilda lived with her foster mom for the first year and a half of her life. She's a vet nurse who takes in a lot of foster animals...which was Tilda's downfall.
She gets too excited around kitties (and chickens) and "harasses" them, so for everyone's safety she had to find a home where she could rule the roost.
And rule the roost she does at our house!
Her original mom didn't really want to give her up, so is happy to have her back for visits which worked out so well for us while we were away. After being away from her for three straight weeks it's pretty obvious that we won't ever leave her for that long again. It's too hard! On us!
My parents have a Boston (Angus) as does my sister (Spanky). I had one growing up (Hailee), and so did my mom (Bunky) so it was inevitable that sometime in life I'd get one of my very own, but make no mistake she is 100% Martin's dog. She's a total daddy's girl and he is wrapped around her little [paw] finger. I was the catalyst to bring Matilda into this family but I am merely a spectator to their adorable romance.
But still, I love her and don't even remember life without her. Bostons don't just get into your heart, they get into your bloodline.
Once you go Boston, you never go back!
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