Harvey’s “Tail”: A Pandemic Adoption Story

Today's post has absolutely nothing to do with books. With that being said, if you're a dog lover or pet owner, maybe you'll relate!

Today I want to tell you the story of my dog Harvey! But before I do, let me start from the beginning...

My First Best Friend

Growing up my family and I had a Yorkshire Terrier named Mocha. She was feisty, sweet, playful, loyal, and full of energy. She also had floppy hears and jet black fur, aside from the mocha-colored fur around her face and on her legs. She bore a strong resemblance to a teddy bear.

I’ll never forget the day she came into our lives. We were spending Christmas Eve at my aunt’s house. I was in 3rd grade and my brother John was in 5th grade. It was towards the end of the night when my mom asked John and me to turn around and cover our eyes. We covered our eyes in anticipation, not expecting to see a tiny little puppy wearing a big red Christmas bow staring back at us.

We used to beg my mom to let us get a puppy. When I say begged, I mean BEGGED and pleaded and guilt-tripped her, but nothing seemed to sway her. So in that moment, when our wish finally came true, we were overjoyed and overcome with happiness.

Mocha quickly became a part of the family. She was a furry ball of energy, and would get the zoomies every time we’d come back home from school or work or wherever we’d been. She was excited when any one of us came home, but her excitement when our mom came home was unmatched! There was no greater feeling in the world than being greeted by Mocha.

Needless to say, we all loved Mocha so much. She was by our side through everything…for nearly 18 years! My brother and I grew from children to weird pubescent kids to angsty teenagers to young adults in our 20s. And throughout it all, she was in our lives when we needed her the most – when our loving dad became sick and we didn’t know how to process our emotions. She was in our lives when he passed away almost ten years later. She was there to support us through our grief, whether she knew it or not. (Though I think she was intuitive, and she knew when something was wrong.)

Mocha passed away when I was 26 years old. We were heartbroken. Seeing her food and water bowls and toys in the kitchen but not her is one those things that hurts in a way that’s impossible to explain. Anyone who’s lost a beloved pet knows the feeling.

And when you’re grieving, you don’t necessarily think about adopting another dog right away. It almost feels like a betrayal. But the more that time passed, the more I felt her absence.

Pandemic Blues

Then 2020 came along. We all know what a shitty year that was. It started on a low note for me too, even before March hit us like several tons of bricks. In January I was in an accident and fractured my hip. I was so lucky for so many reasons, but I had to stay home from work for about a month and a half. I started going a little stir crazy and was relieved to finally get back to work after healing. But almost as soon I got back, we ALL had to go home and stay home…for a longer time than many of us could have predicted. Do I even have to say why?

We were all in the same boat at that time, with many of feeling lonely, depressed, or even just bored in lock-down. For me, the void that I felt from Mocha’s absence became unbearable. It had been almost a year since she’d passed away and I felt ready to start at least looking to get another dog. I spent many hours on PetFinder applying to adopt dogs while in quarantine. The catch is that my Mom and I live together, so I was going to have to get her on board as well, just like old times. It took some convincing, but my Mom eventually agreed to adopt a dog.

Along Came Harvey

It was May 2020. One of the dog’s I applied to adopt was Harvey, an 8-year old chihuahua mix from Texas who’d been abandoned and attacked by coyotes. His PetFinder profile called him a fighter, but also a “character” and a “lap dog” who will do just fine with older children and dogs, but will “terrorize household cats.”

After submitting my adoption application, all I had to do was a phone interview plus a video tour of our home, and I was very quickly approved by the rescue organization to be Harvey’s next owner. It all happened so fast and a little too easily.

The day after my application was approved, Harvey’s foster mama dropped him off at our house. He walked right up to me and my mom acting as if he’d known us his whole life.

His foster mom, the woman who’d been taking care of Harvey for a month or two at that point, seemed like a kind lady. She got emotional while saying goodbye to him. It was weird because I was excited to see how connected she felt to him, and I couldn’t wait for us to forge a connection with him as well. But I also felt terribly guilty. She had to say goodbye to him with hardly any notice and I felt like we were ripping him away from her. Harvey also had to say goodbye to the woman who’d cared for him, and that certainly wasn’t the first or even second time in his life he was forced to say goodbye. Harvey’s story is unfortunately a common one. (We’ve got to treat our animals better. We really, really do.)

Harvey immediately felt at home with us. It was surprising how quickly he’d adjusted. He was sleeping on our laps on day one – alternating between my Mom and me, and he happily slept in my bed on his very first night in our home. The whole “lap dog” description on his PetFinder profile was making a lot of sense.

Harvey was calm and docile when we’d first taken him in. But when we started taking him for walks, we got to see another not-so-calm side. Harvey tugs at his leash, barks and lunges at 90 percent of the people we pass, and absolutely loses his shit at 100 percent of the dogs we pass. And the mail carrier is Harvey’s number 1 enemy. Just the sight of the mail carrier’s truck is enough to make him lose it. Even two years later, this part of Harvey’s personality has not changed one bit!

Harvey is yappy on walks and protective of the people he loves, but he is not aggressive. Harvey may very well be the inspiration behind the saying “all bark and no bite.” In fact, he is one of the most affectionate pups I’ve ever met. I know I’m biased, but when I tell you that this dog is constantly ready to cuddle, I’m not exaggerating. He loves to be picked up, dressed in sweaters, hugged, kissed, petted, or just to be next to you (but preferably on your lap.) That’s why I get so frustrated with all the awful chihuahua hate I see online! Harvey is 48 percent chihuahua and 100 percent the sweetest dog you’ll ever meet. And yes, I did pay for a DNA test and learned that the other 52 percent of Harvey’s doggy DNA consists of Rat Terrier, Pomeranian, and Miniature Pinscher.

Harvey’s Heartworm Diagnosis

Adopting Harvey was one the best and most rewarding decisions I’ve ever made. He has brought so much love and joy into our home. But life is scary and unpredictable and nothing is ever without its challenges. I noticed that Harvey, despite having a ton of energy, had this persistent and forceful cough that would worsen at night. Within three weeks of adopting him, I took him to the vet to get to the bottom of it. I soon learned that Harvey was Heartworm positive.

If you’re not familiar with Heartworm, it’s a potentially fatal disease caused by a parasitic worm. It’s spread through mosquito bites and is especially common in the South. Harvey, having come from Texas, was more at risk. Plus, before being rescued, he clearly was not in the best care and was likely not getting a monthly heartworm preventative. Heartworm is serious, and as it progresses, the worms mature into adults and start to cause organ damage. And the treatment, which is administered in a series of injections, is expensive and can be painful. It also requires them to refrain from exercise for months afterwards.

There was some push-back from the rescue organization regarding the treatment. The director felt that the treatment would be too harsh for an older dog like Harvey. She recommended something called “the slow treatment,” which basically consists of putting him on an antibiotic plus monthly preventatives. But ultimately I didn’t want to lose him, and this is not a treatment recommended by vets. Saving Harvey would be worth every penny.

Harvey started the vet-recommended Heartworm treatment. After his first injection, it was apparent that he was in distress. He cried for days and could barely move without throwing up. It was heartbreaking to see. But overtime, he improved and it even became difficult to prevent him from being active. As you now know, Harvey is rather energetic on his walks.

About 9 months later and after completing the treatment, Harvey’s Heartworm test came back negative! Harvey was healthy, and we no longer had to worry about him barking his head off on our daily walks.

Harvey By My Side

Today Harvey is 11 years old. He’s a senior dog who experiences occasional puppy-like bursts of energy but who mostly just wants to cuddle. When he’s not barking at the elderly and children on our walks, or sitting on our laps, he’s most likely hovering around someone in the kitchen impatiently waiting for food to be dropped.

Harvey is the reason I hate leaving for work in the morning, because I know I won’t see him for 8+ hours. He’s also the reason I can’t wait to come home. I know he’ll be at the door making the strangest noises – not quite howls but definitely not a normal whine. These strange noises are his way of telling you, “I missed you and I’m so happy you’re home and please don’t ever leave me again, next time just take me with you.”

I know it’s totally cliche to say, but Harvey saved me! He came into my life when all I really needed was unconditional love, and he gave me the gift of trust right way.

And Mocha? Well, she will always be my first puppy. She was by my side during the most difficult times of my life. And she taught me and my family about the unconditional love we receive from our pets. It’s the kind of love that has healing powers.

There’s nothing quite like the bond between a girl and her dog. I even have a tattoo for each pup as very permanent marks of my love. 🙂