“Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.”— Roger Caras
Moving cities can be difficult. Moving states can be even more difficult. Besides finding a new place to live, the frustrations of making sure all loose ends are tied up at your old residence and the sheer back-breaking work of hauling your belongings back and forth, perhaps the hardest things to cope with are the feelings of displacement and even loneliness.
Chelsea was planning her move from Atlanta, Georgia to Greenville, South Carolina. Undoubtedly, some of these feelings were running through her brain as the time to leave drew nearer. When going through a stressful time, sometimes all we need is someone else to be there with us. Chelsea needed a companion.
In April 2018, Chelsea attended the Mutt Strutt in downtown Greenville. The Noble Dog Hotel had a tent set up at the event and a very sweet, medium-sized dog was hanging out there. After meeting Magnolia, or Mags, Chelsea felt a connection, but the timing was bad. Adopting a new dog in the middle of planning to move was just too much to take on right then. At the suggestion of friends, Chelsea asked if she could take Mags home for a short trial run. This turned into three or four trial runs, and by that time, she knew that she had to have Mags.
It wasn’t long until Mags found her forever home with Chelsea in Greenville, and the rest is history. Chelsea needed a companion as she began a new chapter of her life, and Mags needed a person to love her unconditionally.
Mags had been reluctantly surrendered to Canine Healing after her living situation unfortunately fell apart. It quickly became clear to us that Mags really needed a home. Her personality did not take well to living in a boarding facility 24/7, and she began regressing in her training and temperament. We were so happy when she and Chelsea found each other.
Chelsea, a high school science teacher, expressed to us how glad she was to have Mags with her during her transition to a new city and stage of life. Being a teacher, she did not have to work during the Summer, which meant that she was often alone during this time, but for Mags. “Mags gave me an excuse to get out and explore,” she said, “We would walk the Swamp Rabbit, go to the dog park and try new restaurants. She’s my best buddy…”
Mags brightens up all the corners of Chelsea’s life, especially when she smiles! That’s right, Mags smiles by scrunching up her muzzle and showing her teeth. Chelsea looks forward to it every day when she comes home.
One of the things we believe in at The Canine Healing Project is that every bond between a human and a dog is special, and that it can be life changing. It can completely alter the difficult experience of moving states from one of loneliness and heartache to one of happiness and fulfillment. We are humbled to be a part of stories like that of Chelsea and Mags, and we hope to be a part of many more.