In early August, my parents went on vacation for a week. Being the loving daughter that I am, I agreed to house and dog sit for them. (Free food and a nice fenced in yard for Zora to run in had absolutely nothing to do with it!)

Who would I be dog sitting, you may ask? For the first time on my blog, introducing Grizzly Bear! He is a one year old German Shepherd with a happy soul and zero grace. He trips over his own two feet more often than not! And, unbeknownst to me, he’s quite the thief! After a few days had past without my parent’s return, Bear grew desperate and so, he stole my phone and proceeded to text “Father” and “Female Father” begging them to come home. He even convinced Zora to send a text. (Or, more accurately, pushed her to the brink of insanity and texting “Grandpapa” was her last resort!)

He’s quite the (dramatic) wordsmith, detailing everything from his despair at never seeing “Father” and “Female Father” ever again to the street construction he was powerless to stop!

They’re quite the read, so enjoy!

-Kelly

One year ago today, June 19th, 2022, the world lost a beautiful canine soul. Hedwig passed away peacefully in my arms and though it was one of the hardest moments of my life, I know it was the right decision. Hedwig struggled with a blood disorder and she fought like hell for many years. She was tired and she let me know that she was ready to cross the rainbow bridge.

Even now, as I write this blog, I’m finding it hard to keep it together. They say the only time a dog will break your heart is when they pass away, and damn, that’s true! Hedwig was everything I could ever want in a dog. She was sweet and playful. She understood humor; she would often wait for someone to look at her before doing something silly. She was unbelievably caring; not only did she spend every day making sure I was safe, she cared about everyone around her. She would often comfort my dad, her beloved Poppop, when his headaches were particularly bad. She kept a steady eye on my great-grandmother when we vacationed together. Hedwig comforted my Aunt Marybeth in her hospital bed shortly before she passed away.

She may have been my service dog, but Hedwig cared about everyone around her.

And she continues to care for me even from the other side.

It wasn’t even a month later that Hedwig introduced me to Zora.

Lady Zora Borealis, First of Her Name, was a 7 month old Belgian Malinois/German Shepherd pup who had lost her owner at only 5 months. She was everything I would need in a service dog; intelligent, kind, willing to learn, big enough to physically aide me when needed, and, most importantly, she needed me as much as I needed her!

She needed a home, a family, and I needed a new little furball to love with everything I had. When I read her story, I knew instantly that Hedwig was sending her my way. There was something poetic about the idea that Hedwig was now in heaven, taking care of Zora’s dad, while Zora was down here on earth, taking of me.

But remember Hedwig’s sense of humor I mentioned earlier? Well, she was certainly laughing because Miss Zora was all the way down in Texas!

Due to scheduling complications, Zora’s arrival in PA was delayed a few times. I’m not going to lie; this was very bad for my mental health. I understood, logically, why this had occurred and I did my best to wait. But mentally? It was killing me. For the first time in many years, I was dealing with my Tourette’s all on my own. Of course, I knew that Zora wasn’t going to arrive and just suddenly be able to alert to oncoming attacks or physically stop me from hitting myself. However, just having a dog to care for, a soul that depends on me getting up each day, was something I desperately needed.

I won the lottery when it comes to parents, and this was never more clear then when my parents decided I was done waiting for Zora to come to me; we were going to get her.

On August 3^rd, we left PA and began our drive down to Texas. On August 7^th, we returned home with Zora! It  was an exhausting trip of nonstop travel, driving in shifts, and only finding a hotel when it got too dark to drive safely.

The first time I met Zora in person, I knew that everything I already thought was correct: Hedwig had handpicked this beautiful girl for me. Zora fit into the family like she had been with us forever. She got into the car with zero hesitance and she quickly fell asleep in my lap. Anyone who knows dogs knows that this was a sign of her instant comfort in my presence.

And so we turned around and drove Zora up north to her forever home in Pennsylvania. Now, almost a year later, Zora is well on her way to becoming a fully trained service dog. She goes to work with me daily. She’s learning what to do when my ticks flare up and she’s working hard on her training everyday. At first, she did not like wearing her vest but now, she sits with a pride every morning, waiting for me to put it on. After all, ‘ONLY THE BEST WEAR THE VEST!’

I know that Hedwig is with us, every step of the way, and Zora can feel her presence too. Zora has a big collar to fill but every single day, our bond grows tighter, and there is not a doubt in my mind that Hedwig knew exactly what she was doing when she sent me Zora.

This is my first blog post since Hedwig’s passing. When she first passed, it seemed impossible to ever update Twitchin’ Through Life again – after all, it was a blog about me and Hedwig as a service dog team. But watching Zora walk in Hedwig’s footsteps and yet, still be her own unique personality, it became clear that I had to keep writing. Not only to raise awareness of Tourette’s and service dogs, as was the original purpose of the blog, but to memorialize the amazing work Zora does on the daily to save my life; just as Hedwig did before her.

So I’ll begin posting regularly again, chronicling Zora’s training, knowing that Hedwig is watching over us always!

I love you, Hedwig. You were the perfect dog and I will miss you forever. Thank you for sending me Zora and for watching out for me even from across the rainbow bridge. Until we meet again, sweet girl; I love you!