Chance of a lifetime
Fostering a dog with behavior challenges led to adoption — and to happiness for her new family
Fostering a dog with behavior challenges led to adoption — and happiness for her new family.
‘‘however many chances you get in
life, you deserve it.” This heartfelt sentiment from Kiwi’s adoptive mom, Zenzi, sums up this quirky, wonderful story about a very loving dog. It’s a story about the magic of fostering, the patience of a human and the resilience of a pup.
Kiwi’s history was unknown when she came to Best Friends in Los Angeles. But the cute, four-year-old, 50-pound blackand-white dog was friendly, sweet and playful. And she was adopted right away. After just a week in her new home, however, it was apparent that she had special behavioral needs.
Seeking dog-savvy home
Along with all her good qualities, Kiwi is a rather sensitive dog. Some things terrify her, and she can quickly flip between fear and reactivity. She can be happily playing with a toy one minute and then become possessive, feeling that someone might take it away. Plus, Kiwi really, really doesn’t like other animals. She required a home with dog-savvy people who would be happy to accommodate her quirks and help her overcome her fears.
The adoption team launched a search for a match that would allow Kiwi to thrive. But each time she was adopted, she was returned. Staff and volunteers became familiar with her fears — one of which was a severe phobia about going through doorways — and they knew it would take a lot of patience and love to help her overcome them.
Though it’s not easy to find the right fit for a dog with multiple challenges who must be the only pet in the home, it’s not impossible. For Kiwi, that right fit was the home of Zenzi Poindexter.
Another chance
Zenzi had been thinking about fostering a pet and she finally decided to go forward with it. When she contacted Best Friends last February, the staff knew just the dog for her. Zenzi and her
wife, Adrienne, have no children or other pets, and they both have experience with dogs. And since Zenzi is retired, she would have plenty of time to devote to Kiwi.
So, several times a week for two months, Zenzi picked up Kiwi and took her home for a few hours. Initially, she focused on helping Kiwi simply get comfortable with her, which included spending time outside in the yard. “I wanted to build that trust with her,” Zenzi says, adding that she wanted Kiwi to know she would always be there for her. “We would just hang out in my yard and, slowly, she got more relaxed with me.”
Zenzi then started working on Kiwi’s fear of doorways. She talked about it with the staff at Best Friends and did a lot of research. “I needed to find out what her $100 bill was,” Zenzi says, referencing an article she read about giving dogs high-value rewards to help them associate something positive with whatever they are afraid of.
That $100 bill for Kiwi turned out to be bologna and hot dogs. Zenzi also discovered that putting her hand gently on Kiwi’s back and using the leash helped Kiwi get through doorways. But it still took a long time. “It would take her 45 minutes to an hour to get through a doorway,” Zenzi says. “I am not a patient person and I had to learn to be patient. She taught me that.”
A permanent family
Once everyone was confident that Kiwi was ready, she stayed overnight with Zenzi and Adrienne. It was a foster arrangement at first, but after spending a great deal of time getting to know Kiwi and helping her acclimate to their home, they decided to adopt her.
Zenzi and Adrienne knew about Kiwi’s past; they knew how many times she had had to start over in a new home and how many times she was returned to Best Friends. And they wanted to give her the stability she needed.
“My hope is that sharing this story will encourage others to consider fostering,” Zenzi says, the tone of her voice reflecting her love for Kiwi (now called Seven) and their life together.
Now eight years old, Seven is getting more and more comfortable and trusting every day. Zenzi is amazed at Seven’s progress and knows they will continue on that path. “There is nothing that could happen that would make us return her,” she says. “We are so lucky to have her.”
Seven’s fans at Best Friends were thrilled that she finally found her forever home. And Zenzi was very impressed with the staff’s matchmaking skills. “It was the mismatch that was the perfect match,” she says.
Zenzi pauses for a moment when asked what she has learned from Seven (besides patience, of course). “So many things,” she says. “She taught me that everything is not going to be perfect, and that’s OK. I’m learning to accept things and be OK with it — that this is her process and mine.”
Zenzi, Adrienne and Seven: They’re all in it together. “She’s quirky, and we’re quirky,” says Zenzi. “We are this little trio and we are just as happy as can be.”