One of the most positive things I have done in awhile is fostering and assisting in the training of soon to be Service Dog Extraordinaire, Tillman. Tillman and I have known each other for awhile now. The shelter I volunteer at, Paws Ranch, agreed to my desperate requests to save Tillman from the Universal City Animal Shelter. He was saved from being euthanized several times and was just about on his last chance. Tillman (then known as Jake) was a black dog, and apparently black dogs are overlooked. Tillman also wasn't one of those "in your face" dogs either. He sat calmly in his crate or kennel and didn't run to the door eagerly when people stopped to look at him and wasn't a big barker. At adoption events, we would make eye contact and we sort of had this unspoken understanding between us. He knew his opportunity would come, so he wasn't worried. I knew his opportunity would come, but I hated that so many months had gone by and he was still waiting. You see, Tillman's eyes also told me something else. While they said "I don't mind waiting" they also said "I have a much bigger job to do than to be a house pet". I could see this. How could I help him though?
Around this time, Kory and I were in the middle of getting 2 of our dogs certified as Therapy Dogs. Sure enough, Penny's From Heaven Foundation just happened to also have a program that trained shelter dogs to be service dogs for veterans. Train A Dog~Save A Warrior (TADSAW) was only about 8 months up and running but the point was...it was up and running! I was able to meet with one of the trainers, who happened to have a spot available! I showed her all of the pictures and videos of Tillman and she was very interested. Unfortunately, she soon had to leave TADSAW for medical reasons. I was devastated that this meant Tillman would be at the shelter for another 6 months or so. A few weeks passed and a few more adoption events went by with no promising leads. By now, we had graduated from the Therapy Dog program and I had taken on the position of Special Events Coordinator. We had a meeting at which the TADSAW trainer, Michelle, was present. It killed me to hear of other dogs getting accepted into the program, so I built up the nerve to mention Tillman, and the fact that they HAD wanted to see him at one point. By this time, Tillman was suffering from "shelter stress" and he needed out ASAP. He was losing hair and weight and it was KILLING ME. Michelle was more than happy to evaluate Tillman, but we had absolutley no place to put him. I reached out for a foster but had no luck. I knew what an amazing guy Tillman was, but I was having trouble getting someone else to take the chance on a shelter dog that had more than likely never lived with an actual family before. (SIDE NOTE: While at Paws Ranch, he did live with an awesome foster family, but soon got bored being a "pet" and would jump their fence). I was pregnant and had 3 dogs already, one of which isn't nice to anybody, and a backyard with a terrible fence that wouldn't keep any dog confined. What was I going to do? I had to get Tillman accepted into the program first. What if he didn't pass? I figured I would stop worrying about finding him a foster home and work on getting him accepted first.
It was a Wednesday, July 13, 2011 to be exact. A hot, dry, sunny summer day and TADSAW trainer Michelle, my therapy dog Gainer, and I headed out to the San Antonio Animal Control facility to speak to a group of kids about animals with careers. Tillman was going to be evaluated THAT afternoon. I didn't sleep at all the night before. I was so nervous for Tillman. I asked Michelle if there was anything we could do to prepare him and all she would tell me was that Tillman would speak for himself. I knew Tillman could speak to me, but could he speak to others too?
Of course he could! As a matter of fact, one of Tillman's buddies at the shelter, Boomer, could talk to others too! We left Paws Ranch that day with Tillman and the promise to return by the end of the week to pick up Boomer. A kind neighbor (a black dog lover) agreed to watch Tillman for the afternoon until we could properly introduce Tillman to our other dogs. Every foster lead had fallen through at this point, so I convinced my husband that Tillman had to stay with us until we could find him a foster family. We got him a nice roomy crate and piled it full of pillows and blankets. It sat in the living room, right next to Titan's dog bed.
We had NO idea that Titan and Tillman would become the BEST of friends. Those two play together constantly. Titan would even try to sleep in the crate with Tillman at night. Tillman turned out to be just what Titan needed. The other 2 dogs in the house, Ripley and Gainer, were old and never wanted to play, just sleep. Kory and I joked about how we were going to tell Titan that he couldn't keep Tillman! It turns out Tillman LOVES men. He LIKES everyone, but he LOVES men. Once we were confident that the dogs weren't going to kill each other, we packed up the crate and let Tillman have free range in the house. Free range of the house soon turned into free range of Kory's side of the bed. Like I said, he LOVES men and prefers to sleep curled up or completely under the covers right next to Kory. Tillman will not move, not even an inch, once he is on the bed.
This past week Tillman and I started Service Dog classes. He did really well. Turns out he LOVES hot dogs and will do anything for a hot dog. He hates fruit. Why am I telling you all this? I want to keep some sort of record, possibly for Tillman's future soldier and possibly for me, about all of these things. While I love Tillman so much, I do know that there is another plan for him. He has a much bigger job to do. I knew it all along. You know so many times we wonder where our life is headed or why certain obstacles or opportunities arise when they do. I went into this not knowing why but knowing it just seemed so right. I am right where I am supposed to be and so is Tillman. God puts opportunites in front of us all the time. I (as well as my husband and many of those close to me) have wondered if this was really a good idea, being pregnant and taking on the responsibility of fostering and training a service dog. Tillman won't be in training forever and the day will soon come where he is ready to start that bigger job. How will I hold up? I can tell you that right now I think I will be just fine. As Tillman starts his new life, I will be giving birth and starting a new life too. As Tillman leaves my nest, I will have my own baby to raise.
So, to Tillman's future soldier, even though the 2 of you haven't even met yet, Tillman has been preparing his whole life for you. He has known, prepared, and worked hard to get ready to meet you. He has known you would come for him and he was never worried. You might be questioning your situation and why you have to encounter the obstacles you do, but let me tell you this. It is all part of a plan that we might never understand. Why couldn't you and Tillman meet earlier? The timing just wasn't right. But when it is, it will seem like the two of you have known each other all your lives.
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