A compassionate woman named Katharine never expected that a simple decision to foster a dog would forever change her life and that of her boyfriend, Cody. When she saw Simon on the shelter’s list to be euthanized, she knew she couldn’t stand by and let it happen. Although the couple wasn’t quite ready to have a second dog, they decided to foster Simon to save his life. And boy, was Simon grateful! As soon as they began their journey home from the shelter, Simon made it clear that he needed to be close to Katharine. He insisted on having some part of his body touching her the entire drive.
Upon arriving home, the first big challenge was to introduce Simon to Bub, the couple’s current dog. Katharine knew that the adjustment would be difficult in some ways, given the sheer size of having two large Pit Bulls with rough pasts. Both dogs hadn’t been properly socialized or trained at any point in their lives, so she was initially worried about how they would react to sharing the same space, toys, and the couple’s attention.
To Katharine’s surprise, something just clicked between Simon and Bub, and they immediately became best friends. Simon is more “happy-go-lucky and go with the flow,” while Bub is their beloved “little brat” who pouts or sulks if he doesn’t get his way.
The couple leads an active lifestyle, living in a national park, and they hoped that Simon would fit in and enjoy the activities. They started taking him on short trips and hikes around the park, allowing him to explore nature and his new surroundings.
For about two weeks, Katharine kept reminding herself not to get too attached to Simon, as he was just her foster dog. She advertised to friends and coworkers that he would be listed for adoption soon, but every time she tried to write up an adoption post, she started to cry.
The turning point came when they took Simon to the beach for the first time. Watching him experience the ocean and seeing how happy he was in his new life brought tears to their eyes. Katharine looked at Cody and knew they had to keep Simon. Cody agreed, and they decided to make Simon a permanent part of their family.
Katharine believes Simon understood when she told him he was staying with them forever. The dog had the biggest smile on his face. In retrospect, she wonders how it was ever a discussion – it was obvious that they were meant to keep Simon all along!
Toledo, United States.
