Almost five years ago, my husband, Mark, and I set out to adopt a Bichon Frise. One Bichon in particular caught our attention: Her name was “Preshus” and she was currently living with her foster family in Corona. We were told she was found as a stray in San Bernadino and turned into a local shelter, which has a reputation for its less than ideal conditions. She was malnourished, flea bitten, covered in foxtails and misidentified as a poodle. We were told from the foster family that she was also quite matted and had been shaved. But given all that, she was the sweetest, kindest dog. Never barked, obedient and house trained. We decided to make the trip and head to Corona to meet this Bichon—and if all went well, she’d soon have a new home and certainly, a new name. Within minutes of arriving at the family’s home, we were sitting on the living room floor and this small and unsure Bichon walked over to us and sat in my husband’s lap. We took a good look at her. Her eyes were red and weepy, her toenails were black, her hair was shaved in random patches—short here, long there and she was underweight. We took her home that day. I couldn’t imagine this kind, tiny, gentle dog wandering around scared and lost in San Bernadino. “No more,” I thought. No more will you be missing, mislabeled or misspelled. You are home. You are ours. You are Lulu! Since then, Lulu has had eye infections, ear infections, nail fungus, allergies, skin cysts, urinary tract infections and gum disease—all of which have been treated at The Drake Center. Most recently, Lulu’s kidney function has shown signs of weakness and she is once again on a round of antibiotics. In the waiting room, Lulu shakes nervously, almost convulsively. In the exam room, where it matters, she trusts the team here—and so do I. As I write this, Lulu is curled up on the couch with me, leaning into my hip. We literally couldn’t imagine our life without her and I know that her life would be very different if we hadn’t adopted her and if she wasn’t in the caring hands of a world-class team at The Drake Center. I sincerely thank Dr. Shotwell and the entire team at The Drake Center for always providing the best of care to my very precious Lulu.
Dana M.
