Welcome Home, Atka

It's been a whirlwind of a week, and we have some amazing news to report....

As you saw in our last post on Wednesday, we had taken Atka to her new mom. Her mom was this amazing woman who we knew was going to give Atka all of the love, training and attention that she would need to live her best life. What we never expected was what happened next. As soon as we got home, Digby and Prinnie could sense our sadness and joined us in missing their foster sister. As the hours passed, the loss of our baby eskie was heartbreaking. Digby would no longer play - even when bribed with treats. Prinnie was nasty and sullen. Shar and I - well, we went through boxes of kleenex and couldn't even talk about her without bursting in to tears.

We gave it a few days, all the while remaining in regular contact with Atka's new mom. Atka was doing well. We, on the other hand, were a mess. On Saturday, I sent an email to Atka's mom and told her of the impact that Atka's leaving had on our family. I told her the truth - that we had made one of the biggest mistakes of our lives. I asked if there was any chance she would allow us to have Atka back. Shortly after the email was sent, she called. She was so incredible - she was kind, and compassionate, and willing to help mend our four broken hearts. I know it couldn't have been an easy decision for her, but she was totally selfless and committed to doing what was best for everyone. We made arrangements to bring Atka back, and hung up the phone.

The four of us hugged and cried and danced with joy. The little foster eskie that never was given a last name was coming home. We made a promise to the eskie gods that we would never fail her again. She was a part of us - our family, and without her, we were not complete. She would have her own name tag, and it would say "Atka Kaya (Marie) R---S---", meaning 'Guardian Spirit to stay and never go back'.

So today, we took the final journey to pick up our baby girl and bring her back to her forever home and family. All because a special woman gave us a second chance. For that, we are eternally grateful. Today, we welcome home our youngest family member, Atka.