Fox

When Fox came to his ODH home, he was suffering from a severe case of PTSD and chronic back pain. At some point in his life he’d been left in a car too long and nearly expired. He was then taken to a backyard shed and left to live there for months before finally being turned over to ODH. He was terribly depressed and his tail never wagged. Nobody thought he’d last more than 6 weeks. He was unfriendly with all other dogs. It took over a year of real work before he could stop flinching when someone reached down to pet him. Back then, if something even brushed against him while he lay sleeping, he would immediately jump up and move away across the room. Over time, his ODH people could pet him while he lay sleeping and not disturb him. His tail loosened from its rigid stance and began to move of its own accord. He recognized and welcomed the other house dogs and was welcomed into the pack. Fox’s health and abilities declined very slowly over time. At the end, 2 ½ years after being welcomed into his ODH family, he had become very frail but much calmer. He had a determined spirit and a hearty appetite right up until his last hours. When it came time to help him to his next great adventure, his family was struck by how he didn’t seem to mind that, so long as the people he knew and trusted were right there with him. Being a part of Fox’s overall transformation and accepted enough to kiss his pretty face and hold his paw while he departed this world has left his ODH family with a feeling of great loss but also great hope and faith in the absolute power of patience and love. Fox passed away December, 2014.