Our Town DeKalb’s July Cover Dog Finds a Forever Home

OUR TOWN DEKALB STAFF

Soon after shelter dog Alava was featured on the cover of the July issue of Our Town DeKalb, tea professional Gillian Millard took him out for the day through LifeLine’s Dog for a Day program. Millard was thinking about adopting a dog, but wasn’t sure she was quite ready, and Dog for a Day was a great way to “try out” some canine candidates while giving a homeless dog a much-needed break from shelter stress with some socialization and entertainment.

Alava was pictured as part of a feature story on LifeLine Animal Project’s Community Animal Center (CAC). Alava was a stray dog found in March at a Stone Mountain construction site with a broken front leg, possibly sustained in a fall down an elevator shaft. CAC took in the three-years-old dog, and scheduled him for surgery to repair the injury. (He was wearing his cast still when the cover photo was taken in June.)

Alava was a friendly dog who worked easily with volunteers to learn basic commands and leash training. When the foster coordinator learned that this was Millard’s first time for Dog for a Day, he suggested Alava. Millard and Alava spent the day at Brook Run Park in Dunwoody, stopping for lunch at Blue Top Grill. “He was a dream in the car,” said Millard, “great on leash and the perfect guy to spend the day with.” After she brought Alava back to the shelter, she couldn’t stop thinking about him, and a few days later brought Alava home with the intention to foster him until someone adopted him. The choice brightened both their lives.

“I was truly enjoying his company. My days were brighter, my mood lighter, and my home warmer for his presence.” Millard was saddened by the thought of Alava going to someone else through adoption, but she didn’t think she had the resources to adopt a dog. The adoption coordinator told Millard about LifeLine’s affordable veterinary care program for adopted pets, and found a sponsor to cover the adoption fee. “I decided to adopt Bodhi because I couldn’t imagine my home without him.”

Most LifeLine adoptions are handled online, but Millard wanted to finalize the paperwork in person. “I finalized Alava’s adoption on August 19, which was the fifth anniversary of my brother Zeb’s passing,” she said. “Zeb was a jokester, and artist, and an amazing brother, who helped me adopt my cat Quinnifer, my very first pet. If felt right to have him be a part of my adoption of Alava.” LifeLine volunteers who had worked with Alava during his time there attended the adoption, showed off the tricks they had taught him, and gave him goodbye hugs.

Alava, now renamed Bodhi, has settled into his forever home, which he shares happily with two cats and another dog. He loves going to the local dog park and anything involving water, but his favorite activity is a car ride. “Bodhi will do anything for a car ride,” laughs Millard. “We have to go on one every day, even if it’s just around the neighborhood. He just sits in the back seat, looking out the window, happy to be there.”

What advice would Millard give someone thinking about adding a pet to their life? “Start with a tour of your local shelter! So many shelters are at or beyond their capacity.” Millard felt the LifeLine staff was key to her adoption of Alava, offering advice and assistance through all the steps. “I never thought adoption would be so simple!”

If you are interested in adding a pet to the family but aren’t sure about adoption, visit the LifeLine Community Center (3180 Presidential Drive, Atlanta) and talk to a volunteer about the Dog for a Day program, or fostering a dog or cat. LifeLine covers the cost of fostering, including food, medical care, and bedding. Being out of the shelter and in a home offers pets a break from a stressful shelter environment, while helping them develop social skills and providing insight into pet personalities. Check out both programs and adoption at lifelineanimal.org.