😩 Would you bring home a dog with a difficult past?
“She was living under a house for the first six months of her life, then lived in a travel crate for the next year. She had been adopted after that because she’s a very pretty dog…
But those people returned her to the rescue after about 18 hours because all she did was find places to hide and no one could touch her.”
Rescuing a dog and giving them a second chance at life can be one of the most rewarding experiences.
Once they’re in a safe place, we get to watch them flourish and thrive.
But because we don’t always know what they went through before joining our family, they sometimes require a little extra TLC. They need to understand that they no longer have to live in survival mode.
When Carrie K Kelly–Reiki practitioner, writer, lifelong animal welfare advocate and professional, and founder of Vitalis Light–first rescued Dazzle, she wanted her to learn right away that she would be a trusted human in her life.
And with a little extra love, patience, and positive healing energy, Dazzle started to feel right at home…
Helping her big brother, Jambi, feel better too.
After years with no dogs, first came Jambi
“I was looking at apartments and I called his guy, my current landlord, and said, ‘I know it says no pets allowed, but I'm going to come look at the place and I'm bringing my dog.’
So, I brought Jambi and he fell in love with him. Not only did he fall in love with him, but he cut a hole in the door for a little dog door… and he made a little fence for my side.”
Moving to Hawaii was something Carrie always wanted to do. But because she had commitments back on the mainland, her move had to wait.
Once her horse had passed, she took some time to figure out the logistics and headed across the ocean.
Life wasn’t easy though. With high expenses and low wages, she ended up working three jobs with one goal in mind: get an apartment that would allow dogs.
For Carrie, living without a pet by her side just wasn’t an option.
Carrie & Bo
Since she was a child, she was fascinated with animals. Between her own backyard, the natural areas by her home, and the places her geologist father took her to, she was always discovering and admiring little critters around her.
Pair that with the punk music scene she found herself in around high school, and that led to veganism and activism in the name of animal rights too.
From there, life led her down many paths. She studied Wildlife Biology at a university, managed the horse department at Best Friend’s Animal Sanctuary, and lived and worked with the burros at Eagle Eye Sanctuary near Geyserville, California.
She lived there for years with her little dog, a second dog that was dumped on the property (that she took in and loved as her own), and her horse, Magic.
When Magic became sick and passed, it was time to move on.
That’s when she made the move to Hawaii, and eventually, found her sweet boy Jambi.
A rescue on the island had a mama with puppies, and Jambi looked like a tiny teacup Rottweiler. Falling in love, Carrie knew he would be her companion.
Adjusting to life with Jambi wasn’t difficult, but it had its quirks.
For one, parvo is very common in Hawaii so Jambi wasn’t able to go outside for a while.
Because of that, he got used to using pee pads, and became so proficient, he didn’t want to potty in the grass even when he was allowed to.
Fast forward a few years, and Carrie found herself home a lot. Between the pandemic and then more recently, an injury that kept her home from work, Jambi became accustomed to having his mom by his side…
So much so that if she needs to step out for an hour or two, all he does is cries.
Because of this new anxiety, and after 11 years of being an only dog, it was time to get him a friend.
Dazzle’s past wouldn’t define her
“I found this dog named Bitty. They said she was a 17 pound Chihuahua mix, incredibly shy, and had been returned. She needed a special home where there wouldn’t be children… And she needed a special someone who understands these kinds of rescue situations.”
When Carrie came across Dazzle’s profile on a rescue page, she had a feeling she could provide the good home this sweet dog would need to thrive.
Plus, being a younger dog, her playful energy might be just what Jambi needed to “stay young” a while longer.
Feeling hopeful this was a good fit, she and Jambi took the 2.5 hour drive to the bottom of the island to meet her.
The first thing she noticed? She definitely did not look 17 pounds. Would she fit through Jambi’s little doggie door?
After spending quite a bit of time with her at the rescue, she decided to give it a try.
She knew Bitty, now Dazzle, had a rough past with living under a house for 6 months then spending a year in a crate. It would take time to earn her trust.
Taking inspiration from a horse trainer she had worked with many years ago, she kept Dazzle on a leash for a few days so she could be by her side.
After becoming used to this new human’s presence, Carrie created a special safe space for her. Not a crate, but a cozy corner with a bed and blankets where she could retreat to.
From that point, she had freedom. She would come to Carrie for pets and then would run back to her little corner.
This went on for a while, but Carrie noticed each time, she’d stay for pets a little longer than the last, until eventually she’d even choose to come on to the bed.
“When I go to pet her, I'm still surprised that she'll stay the whole time. Now she'll fall asleep with me petting her, but that's taken time. It's not necessarily something that everybody has the patience for or is willing to do with them.”
Settling into life as a sibling
Once Dazzle started to settle, she looked to her older brother for cues on how to be a dog. This was her first time in a safe, loving environment, after all.
Jambi took his new job seriously, being both a positive influence and a typical older sibling.
“Jambi is established as the alpha and that's one of the reasons why I wanted to get a younger dog too. He is such a good dog that I wanted him to almost train this new dog and she has taken to that so well, she's doing really great with training.”
Besides mirroring Jambi, Dazzle has learned all the basic commands and how to walk on a leash.
She definitely looks up to her older brother and loves trying to play with him too… But that’s where he draws the line.
Jambi loves to play, but he doesn’t necessarily want to play with her. Carrie often finds herself with a toy in each hand playing with each dog separately, at the same time.
And if she tries to be sneaky and get them playing with the same toy? “Once he realizes he's playing with her and I've let go, he'll be like, ‘Ew, gross. Girl germs.’ and walk away.”
Deep down though, he loves his little sister.
If something is going on outside, they’ll both run out together and start jumping and barking. They both get excited to get into the car. They feed off each other’s energy…
And since she’s been there, he hasn’t had any separation issues!
Still, he knows how to get under his sister’s fur…
“I started coaxing her up on the bed and when she would stay there, I would think, ‘Oh my gosh, I'm turning off the light. She's going to sleep on the bed!"’
And then Jambi will let out a single, ‘woof’ because he knows she's going to jump off the bed and go look out the window. Just one little woof… Then I'm not going to be able to get her back on the bed again until the next night to try it again.”
Connecting with two very different dogs
Since Carrie’s dogs have different personalities, comfort levels, and ways of showing love, she’s sure to give them what they need to feel safe and seen.
“One thing Jambi does is when he demands attention, I have to stop everything I'm doing and actually pet him. He takes it very seriously. He will just sit and I will pet him… But Dazzle will actually lay down and she'll do that thing where she starts to close her eyes and fall asleep.”
Before Dazzle came into the mix, Jambi slept next to Carrie at night. He had his own little pillow and slept under the covers on his back like a little human.
Now, Jambi sleeps on her pillow, while Dazzle sleeps by her feet.
She’s careful not to move her feet too much, since sudden movements startle and scare Dazzle.
Sometimes before they sleep, Jambi will go look out the window to watch the birds, and Dazzle takes the opportunity to be on his part of the bed and closer to her mom.
But bonding time isn’t limited to bedtime.
During the day, if she’s on the computer, Jambi likes to come sit on the computer. He’s gotten a bit more clingy since he got a new sister, but Carrie reassures him he’s still her favorite boy.
Dazzle will come up to Carrie more often, and even if she has to fully extend her arm to reach, she’ll give gentle, loving pets.
And feeding time is always time to bond.
Every day, they get a carrot. Jambi will take his and go lay down but Dazzle gets so excited. She’ll grab it and hold it up in the air or play with it a bit.
When it’s time to eat, she’ll run up to Jambi as if she’s saying, ‘Aren’t you so excited??’
These simple moments bring a smile to Carrie’s face and show her how connecting with her dogs can be impactful even with everyday routines infused with lots of love… And intentional energy too.
Healing through positive, intentional energy
“Once I got Dazzle and my whole spinal situation was not improving, I knew I had to figure something out. I thought, ‘Why don't I go back to Reiki and I can at least be doing the self practice every day?’”
While Jambi might be the love of Carrie’s life, it was Dazzle who inspired her to turn to Reiki again. And because of her dogs, she feels she’s found her calling.
Years prior, Carrie had already done extensive training in Reiki and had her own personal practice. With time, she had slowly stopped practicing.
Now was the perfect time to bring it back into her life, and she’d use it to help her dogs too.
“When I'm petting them, they react completely differently to my hands than when I have Reiki going. Like when I have the Reiki going, they'll push into my hands and they'll close their eyes and they'll breathe slower and they'll absorb it.”
Using Reiki to address Jambi’s separation issues, Dazzle’s past trauma, and even her own personal injury, Carrie has developed a new sense of motivation for helping animals.
When working in rescue and at various sanctuaries in the past, she was able to positively affect many animals, but it was only those she could come in direct contact with.
With Reiki, and a 21-module certification course in the works, there’s a possibility for her to help animals no matter where they are. Being a transfer of energy, a session can be impactful even from a distance.
And when a pet starts to experience positive changes, feeling calmer and more at ease, that sense of being then passes on to those around them too.
The opportunity to make a difference is greatly expanded, and it’s something that genuinely lights Carrie up.
Though she was originally out of work due to injury, being at home with her dogs has been a blessing in disguise, giving her a chance to reignite her passion for Reiki and for helping animals in need.
No matter your pet’s past, they’re in a better place now that they’re with you.
But if you had to step away for a few days, would someone know exactly what to do to keep them happy and safe?
If something happened, could someone confidently step in and take your place?
Putting a Cotl plan in place ensures your pet is taken care of, just the way they’re used to, no matter what.
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