Absolutely wonderful news to report today!
Our foster baby, Miss Goldfish – who came here to the USA thanks to our amazing rescue partner, Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better – has found her forever home at long last, after almost four years of waiting!! And it’s right here in our hometown, Evanston!!!!
Goldfish can you tell you her life story in her own words at here but suffice it to say, life has been a struggle at times for this sweet, optimistic, amazing, lovable, big-hearted and open-minded, glass-half-full kind of gal! She was one lucky dog to be saved by MDDB founder Wani Muthiah after being mowed down by a car as a baby, but safety and a halfway home never quite came close to life as a real family pet.
MDDB recognized Goldfish’s star qualities and sent her on an amazing journey halfway around the planet – from Kuala Lumpur here to Chicago – for one last shot at her very own forever after. And now she has found the ULTIMATE happy ending, with the amazing family of my kind-hearted friend, Angela!
Goldfish met Angela, Sam, and teenage daughters Sarah and Hannah yesterday (not to mention desert turtle, Taco!) and quietly, sweetly, charmed her family-to-be with her gentle nature and loving ways. We visited her this morning to drop off some of her things and got her signature happy dance – followed by her funny little “apology” to her new family, as if she had to excuse herself for loving us AND also her new family.
We all had a laugh at her endearing antics, and then reassured her that all was well and yes – her whole extended “village” was here around her and will be forever. And then she settled down on the rug between her foster mama and her new forever mama and seemed to be fully understanding of the transition that we are all working so hard to seamlessly effect. Clever girl…
Goldfish’s family also made a point to assure Ayize (who came along to say goodbye, and acted “hard” about everything, but we knew differently – LOL) that they are very thankful that he is letting them take her on and that they promise to love and care for her, “his” doggie wink emoticon and then they presented him with a sweet little thank you gift, which touched me to the core (Angela, you are THE BEST and your compassion with my kiddo nearly brought me to tears)
They assured him that their door is always open and all he has to do, whenever he wants to visit her, is ask his Mama for a ride over…
We have also offered to be her home-away-from-home whenever the family vacations, and since she lives just 10 minutes’ drive away from us and are our friends, I would say it’s a fair guarantee that we will get to see plenty of Goldfish in the days and weeks and months and years to come!
This is such a wonderful and perfect happy ending for our gal that I cannot stop pinching myself!! She is one lucky little “cinderella” with her very own amazing happy ending!!!!
Goldfish, we love you so much, and you are in the best hands the world has to offer! Thank you to the Pisano-Hayat family for opening your hearts and home to Miss Goldie!
She is so lucky, and we are so lucky and grateful and blessed!!!
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GOLDFISH’S STORY
Goldfish is a very sweet 3 1/2 year old spayed female who was rescued in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia when she was just a few months old.
Goldfish has a very calm temperament and is very smart. She wants nothing more than to please her humans. She is quiet as a mouse. She loves people, is gentle with children, and does well with other dogs. She has a lovely optimism and exudes sheer happiness when you walk into a room. Her traditional greeting is an adorable “happy dance”!
Goldfish’s right rear paw was run over by teenagers who were out practicing driving. Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better (MDDB) was called by a traumatized local who had witnessed the accident. MDDB brought her to safety and administered intensive medical treatment to save her foot.
Today, Goldfish is a healthy and happy dog who has recovered beautifully from her road accident. Although her paw was too damaged to fully “fix”, it has healed quite well. She keeps up just fine in her current foster home with three other dogs, running and playing with the best of them.
Had MDDB not rescued her, Goldfish – just 8 weeks old at the time of her accident – would almost certainly have suffered an excruciating and slow death at the side of the road.
Goldfish lived at MDDB’s Klang and Petaling Jaya home-setting shelters for almost 3 years, and while she made many human and canine friends at both places, she has clearly longed for a home and family to call her own since she was a baby. She bathes joyously in any human attention – the one amenity the shelter is unable to provide her with enough of.
Unfortunately, for many dogs like Goldfish, the chance of domestic adoption is slim to none. Street dogs in general are not thought to be “pet-worthy”, as pedigreed dogs are currently the trend among wealthy Malaysian dog owners. And as in many nations, adult black dogs are among the hardest to place. In Kuala Lumpur, given her previous injuries, Goldfish’s adoption prospects were even more miniscule. These dogs are considered “damaged goods” and will almost certainly never be chosen for adoption.
Given her friendly, easy-going, stellar personality, MDDB founder Wani Muthiah could not stand the thought of sweet Goldfish living out her life at the shelter. ISDF founder Dawn Trimmel met Goldfish this April on a visit to MDDB and fell in love with her instantly. Her radiant and loving personality immediately alerted Dawn to the fact that she would make a first-rate companion for some lucky family. Wani request ISDF find an adopter for this golden girl, and Dawn eagerly jumped at the idea.
Goldfish is spayed, microchipped, and current on vaccinations. She is completely housebroken, and friendly and loving to a fault – the family that chooses Goldfish will quickly realize they have truly struck “gold” with this sweet beauty!
For many more photos, including pictures of Goldfish in her foster home and at a recent adoption event, please have a look here. Thank you!