In January of 2004 I lost Tiki, my Lhasa Apso and companion of 14 years. After Tiki died I felt my heart could not accept another dog …yet her loss left a deep void within me and my life. I found I missed the daily activities that a dog brings to a household. After much thought, I decided to foster dogs for a local small dog rescue organization.

Emma was my first “foster dog”. I vividly remember the blustery evening in February when Emma entered my life. A volunteer from the small dog rescue dropped her off at my front doorstep with all of her worldly belongings.. her leash, dish, and brush. She was placed into my arms and I carried her inside. Frightened, she jumped down to the floor and immediately ran on to my living room carpet and peed. I quickly scooped her up and took her outside to show her the backyard. On returning, I brought her back into the living room and sat with her on the floor. “What have I got myself into?”, I thought. There we sat, each of us nervous and unsure. She trembled in my arms as I whispered reassuring words and stroked her curly fur. My heart ached for this homeless little dog.

Finding a permanent home for Emma was not going to be easy. She was 10 years old, partially deaf, had skin allergies and a heart murmur. But she was also, and perhaps most importantly, one of the sweetest little dogs I had ever met.

What a pretty little girl she was. Her coat had very distinct markings. I later learned that this pattern of tan markings appears in all of the known tan marked breeds, such as Dobermans, Dachshunds, and Yorkshire Terriers. Poodles found to have these markings are referred to as Phantom Poodles (also known as Harlequin Poodles).

Two weeks after Emma arrived I received word that someone wanted to come and look at her. I surprised even myself at the emotion I felt. All of a sudden I knew I could not let her go… she was my dog! That was the day I adopted Emma and my home became hers.

In June Emma and I enrolled in obedience classes. What fun we had! Emma was the senior student of the group and was frequently referred to as “the social butterfly”. I was so proud of her. She passed with flying colours. She loved all people and I could not take her for a walk without her greeting everyone we met with a happy wagging tail.

The summer pasted quickly, as all summers do. There was some good news .. her allergies were now fairly well controlled with the help of medications and diet. But there was also bad news. A checkup with the vet revealed that her heart murmur had worsened. It was now a grade 5 heart murmur. I had noticed that her exercise tolerance had lessened and that she occasionally coughed upon waking.. but apart from that she appeared asymptomatic. She continued to enjoy her daily walks.. especially the ones in the evenings and took pleasure from the simplest things.. good food and a comfy nap. She was happy and content.

That October, Emma deteriorated. We had no choice, she was suffering. With the help of my vet, Emma left us for Rainbow Bridge. My poor curly headed girl… there are few words to describe my loss. We had shared our lives for only a short time but I can not help but think that our coming together was meant to be. She needed a home and I needed a dog to love.

Today, my home and my heart are once more ruled by a small rescued dog and a big Manx cat. I would have it no other way.