By Gina Longo

Brian and I have decided that Bala has found his "forever home" with us.

We have had him since August and he has really blossomed in the last 4-6 weeks. He has come out of the shell that he had so deeply retreated into due to the unknown traumas that life has put him through. He has really let us see his personality, but it has taken this long for it to happen.  He has fully acclimated to the other dogs and they have fully accepted him. He is no longer a "novelty" that they are just oh so curious about he is "part of the pack"!

My son came over to dog sit for us last weekend while we went away and Bala retreated back into his shell. He hid all weekend long. My son is a huge animal lover (like his Mom) but Bala hasn't spent much time around him so he was just a stranger. My son said Bala hid in the closet or under the bed all weekend. If he will go back into his shell that quickly with a stranger then I just don't think it is fair to put him through it again in another home.

Bala is approximately 8 years old now and he shouldn't have to keep shifting homes at this stage of his life. I have since discovered that he was adopted from the pound by the people that abandoned him in the foreclosure home so that means he has been in at least 3-4 homes already. I think that also has something to do with his being so deeply retreated into his shell. He doesn't know when he might get moved again so it takes him a long time to trust someone.

The thing that I am thankful for this Thanksgiving holiday is that Bala has been brought into our lives and he is going to celebrate the rest of his Thanksgivings, Christmas's, Easter and Fourth of July's with us!  When I come home he comes running out of his crate to see me and stands up on his 2 back legs and dances around. These are the same 2 back legs that he could not straighten out and walked around all hunched over just 2 months ago. Seeing him this happy and healthy is like Christmas every day!