Loli’s Story, by Sam Schnuck

From the streets of Tijuana to a cozy home in San Carlos, Loli (Low-Lee) has experienced it all. An 8-year-old rescue with a heart of gold and a little bit of sass, she’s a mixed breed dog that’s 100% sweetness. Fostering her for a month in 2019 when she was about 1-year old, we knew right away that we needed to adopt her, and in December of 2019, she officially joined our family.

We didn’t know her backstory, but it was clear that her rough start in life had made her skittish and uncomfortable in new surroundings. For the first few months, she wouldn’t even get on the couch if someone was already sitting there ─ she just watched nervously from a distance. She would cry almost every night, she would shake and bark when guests were over, and she ran away from every loud noise. We continually reassured her that she was safe with us, and after many weeks, she finally started to come out of her shell. Our couches got less empty and Loli even started sleeping better. We could see her true nature as she slowly became who she was always meant to be.

Settling In

As a family, we always sit down together to eat our meals. And as Loli has become more integrated into our family, we’ve noticed that she’s started to adopt some of our habits as her own. I still remember the first time we noticed that Loli went to her bowl to eat when we started eating. It was as if she wanted to be a part of our dinner ritual. To this day, she still eats dinner at the same time as us, which seems very sweet.

And after months of watching our family go in and out of the bathroom, one day Loli decided to give that a try. As my brother walked in, he felt something squish underneath his foot and screamed, “Phew ─ what was that?” Unfortunately, Loli had pooped on the floor. We figured she was just trying her best to follow our lead, so we couldn’t get mad at her. We just had to spend a little time teaching her not to do that again.

Best Laid Plans

Despite all of Loli’s progress, she had an issue with my step-dad, Nick. No matter how many months passed, she couldn’t bring herself to get close. She seemed fine with everyone else, so why was she having a problem with him? We guessed Nick reminded her of someone in her past, and we really didn’t know what to do until one day, Nick had an epiphany. “Maybe she’ll be more comfortable if I shave off my beard.” And that’s exactly what he did, walking into the bathroom and walking out with a completely new look.

Our entire family was shocked because he was almost unrecognizable! And of course, we were all excited to see if his not-so-wonderful idea worked. Unfortunately, the moment Loli saw him, she scampered away, and we couldn’t help but laugh. The rest of us liked Nick’s new look, though, so all was not lost. And Loli has gradually warmed up to him over time.

Loli the Therapy Dog

When I was younger, sleeping was a struggle. I was super anxious whenever it was nighttime, and I would always lie in bed feeling very fearful. It got so terrible that it became an issue for my whole family. I would wake my parents up almost every night because I was so scared.

One night, I was lying in bed when I suddenly thought about Loli. I realized that I always feel calmer and safer when she’s around. And then I thought, “What if Loli started sleeping with me?”

I crept down the hallway and led her back into my bedroom. Once she was settled, I fell asleep right away. Her presence brought me a sense of security that made me feel much safer. In fact, I’ve never struggled with sleep again. Somehow, this sweet and loyal dog who once cried herself to sleep ended up being the one to help me.

So Lucky to Have Found Each Other

When Loli first arrived at our home, she was nervous and skittish and scared of just about everything. Now, she’s a confident and loving part of our family. Even though we rescued her, it feels in many ways like she’s rescued us too.

She’s just the best dog, and we can’t imagine life without her!

Editor’s Note: Sam is in the 8^th grade at Central Middle School, and the first young person to contribute to animallove.net.

Thank you, Sam, for such a lovely story. We’re hoping you’ll inspire more stories like this coming our way.