Back in 2010, I was about to close my shop when Kelly from next door asked to borrow a table for cards. I didn’t have one, but she said she needed it for a charity event for a new animal rescue she was setting up. She also had a dog, part Border Collie, given to her at another event, and she didn’t know what to do with it since they weren’t set up for animals yet.

An Unusual Interest in a Dog

I love Border Collies, so I wanted to see the dog. I closed my shop and met the dog, who I would name Cinder. She was shy and scared, but something about her reminded me of Shadow, our dog who died of cancer two years earlier. They were both black, but it was more about her presence.

I had my wife meet Cinder, but there was no connection. I didn’t give up, though. The next day, I asked Joey, who knew our dogs well, to meet her. He said Cinder reminded him of Shadow, and that was it—I adopted her.

A New Home 

Cinder was young, about 6 months, and her mistreatment was clear already. But not at my place. Then, something strange happened. My wife was walking the dogs, and Cinder’s collar broke. She ran off, but when my wife got back, Cinder was waiting at our house!

Shy, but Not to a Family Member 

Cinder would hide from visitors, but a year later, when my daughter visited, Cinder was excited and didn’t hide at all. It was like she knew my daughter, who had loved Shadow deeply.

They lost Cinder in 2020 to kidney disease, but they feel like they had Shadow back for ten more years.