Tesla
Every year since it was started, we’ve managed to miss Lucky’s Place “Wag & Walk” fundraiser. We would’ve missed it this year, too, if it hadn’t been for our kind neighbor, Lee Robertson. Our family enjoys visiting with Lee when he’s out for a walk and we’re out for a walk with our dogs and our paths cross on the road that leads to the Osmond foothills below Wikiup. As Lee was kneeling down to greet our dogs he asked if we were going to take them to the Wag & Walk. I asked, “When is that again?” He said, “This morning! It starts in an hour.” I felt a sudden urgency to get three kids and two dogs back home and in the car so we could make it to the event! I’m so glad we did because that’s where we met Tesla!
She is one of the four adorable pups that Lucky’s Place staff had brought to the Wag & Walk in the hope of finding them homes. Even before we saw Tesla and her siblings, we were asked multiple times by other dog walkers at the event if our 11-year-old wire hair terrier mix, Pippa, was the mama of the pups. When we saw the pups, we knew why! The pups – Tesla most especially – looked just like Pippa did 11 years ago when Eli (my husband) and I rescued her as a young pup from an abusive home. Ever the terror-terrier, Pippa can be crotchety with other dogs. But, she was totally relaxed with the pups. My kids fell in love with Tesla and asked if we could bring her home. I knew right in that moment that we were about to become a three-dog family!
I called Eli to make sure the whole team was on the same page. He played Belgium, staying totally neutral and saying it was up to me as I’m the one who does most of the day-to-day care for our furry family members. We filled out paperwork and then went home, anxious to hear back from Lucky’s Place. On Sunday, Kerri called us and said we could come pick up Tesla!
She has been with us now for five weeks and fits so perfectly into our mix that we know it was meant to be! Our two-year-old Aussie mix, AnnaBella, loves having a little sis playmate and snuggle buddy. Our grumpy old Pippa has been won over by the feisty spunk and affection of her mini-me. Pippa is busily training her new pack member on how to patrol the yard and take care of the humans. Telsa is so sweet that even our four cats don’t mind her! She loves going on walks in the Wikiup foothills, working in the garden with us (she’s great at shaking dirt off of roots!), and helping us care for our three ewes and a large flock of chickens. She has learned that the canvas storage rack under three-year-old Miriam’s seat on the jogging stroller makes for the perfect place for a puppy power nap during long walks! Tesla is very efficient with recharging her battery!
Mary Ann told us that her litter mates Chevy, Titan, and Porscha are all doing great in their new homes and that makes us so happy! We’re not sure if they all retained their auto-inspired names or not, but Tesla is definitely a Tesla! Kerri did such an amazing job fostering Tesla that she was already responding well to her name and it just fits so well that we kept it! Pippa, Bella, Tesla…all two syllables and end with “a”.
Our nine-year-old son writes and delivers a monthly newspaper for our neighborhood. September’s headline was very attention-grabbing: “Hendersons Get a Tesla…we got a brand new, black Tesla for only $150! Our Tesla has been up and down Bowles Lane four times so far since we brought it home this past Sunday. Our Tesla has to charge every two to three hours and it does not need gasoline.” The story was continued on the back page with a cute picture of Tesla and a good plug for Lucky’s Place!
A big thank you to to our friend and neighbor Lee Robertson (a former employee and devoted Lucky’s Place volunteer) and Kerri Taggert (Tesla’s amazing foster mom), Mary Ann, Jeannette, and all of the other wonderful employees, volunteers, and board members of Lucky’s Place for helping the stars align so we could find the perfect member for our pack! Tesla has already brought so much love and joy to our home and we look forward to many, many happy years with her. Eli, Steph, August, Eliza, and Miriam