One of the occupational hazards of working at Pet Valu is falling in love with what we find in the store. For Bianca, the manager of Pet Valu Wasaga Beach Ontario, that included a Shar Pei puppy who was in the store for an adoption event.
We interviewed Bianca about adopting, and how Eden’s and her own life has grown and changed over their time together.
Tell us about meeting Eden:
We met Eden at an adoption weekend in Port Colborne three years ago. She was there along with two of her brothers, Jack and Bill (Eden’s name was Jill) with Blue Collared Canines Rescue. I picked her up and greeted her like I do with all dogs that come in and I just began to cry. I had an instant connection with her. After doing some research on her breed (shar peis are known for lots of skin problems and allergies, as well as being difficult to train and a bit aloof) we introduced her to (our dog) Hedley and (my partner) Zach that sealed the deal.
Black dogs and cats sometimes struggle to be adopted, did that factor into your decision?
We did not care about her being a dark colour… if anything it made us love her more as we think her coat is beautiful and her personality is one-of-a-kind and perfect for us!
Your family changed and grew since adopting Eden, can you tell us a little about that?
Since having Eden we lost our Scottie cross, Hedley, who was 7 years older than her. They were best friends and she followed his every move. We lost Hedley February 16, 2016 and February 20, 2016 [our son] Deacon was born. So it was a hectic week for her and she was amazing! We also moved into our first house and 1/2 acre and she is loving being able to run around.
It’s clear that Eden and your son Deacon have a really special bond – any tips for helping pets (especially those from a rescue) adjust to a new baby?
The best advice we got to make Eden as comfortable as possible with our newest addition was to set up as much as we could (crib, play pen, vibrating chair, high chair, etc) a couple months before Deacon was due. This got her used to as many new things as possible. While I was in the hospital with Deacon, Zach also brought home a blanket with Deacon’s scent on it so she had 24 hours with it before he came home. She still drags that blanket around some days.
What advice would you give to someone who is thinking of adopting?
Anyone who is thinking about adopting, I think is making one of the best decisions they can. I would tell them to be patient and work with a rescue to find the best fit for them and their new family member, this equals more forever homes. There are so many pets looking for families that there is definitely a match for you out there.
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