Twelve years ago, Susan’s son, Jesse, asked for a Border Collie. She was not ready for a dog, but curiously she checked out ‘doggy world’ just in case she changed her mind.
She found a one-year-old rescued female in a rural area north of Cape Town, South Africa.
“My ‘tell it like it is’ friend, Tanya, informed me, ‘You are crazy thinking about adopting a dog with all you are going through,”’ said Susan. “She was right. My marriage was falling apart, but I replied, ‘What is the harm in looking?’. She agreed to protect us from an unwise decision and so she joined me and the boys as, ‘I’ll be your voice of reason.'
After we arrived, Tanya’s guard-like protection fell in under a second. We looked at the beautiful dog, Jodi, and were sold.”
Jodi was rescued from a rural area covered in ticks it was evident she was homeless for some time. In Susan’s hands the rescue’s life was about to change for the better.
“She’d been named Jodi and since both my sons’ names start with a ‘J’, we felt she was already family,” said Susan. “She was and is an incredibly friendly and outgoing dog.
No matter the season, after a game of fetch, if there is any water to be found Jodi dives in. When we had an outside laundry tub filled with water, this fun-loving dog scrambled into it and twisted and wiggled until she was thoroughly soaked.”
Border Collies thrive on mental stimulation and learning new things. She quickly learns new tricks, especially when the possibility of a treat presents itself. They had fun taking dog agility training classes and Jodi abandons her family on beaches in search of new humans to throw her ball.
Jodi moved from the heat of Cape Town, South Africa and landed in, Canada on a cold winter’s day. She had never experienced such cold weather, yet she quickly settled into Canadian life. After a game of fetch she’d sink, steaming, into a snowbank. Her fur physically helped her adapt by growing longer and denser. It was culture shock for the African dog, as she encountered: deer, bobcat, racoons, skunk (unfortunately), and others.
“Jodi and I are doing standup paddle boarding,” said Susan. “She lies on the board, which is paw-fect because it could ‘a bit hairy’ if she moves disturbing our balance. At first, she was unsure, but now she watches for birds and water wildlife. She’s intrigued by the ‘sea dogs’, the inquisitive seals, that approach us to get a closer look at a floating dog.
Once we were out paddling with family and I switched boards on the water with my niece. I realized, as soon as we drifted apart, that Jodi did not like being away from me, so we maneuvered the two boards side by side. Jodi slid over to my board and thankfully, she ‘didn’t rock the boat or capsize us, because it was a cold day and colder water.
Not only have I had an interesting life, but so has our precious dog born on another continent. She is a blessing and has enriched our family in 1,000 ways, probably saving us a fortune in therapy bills! People say that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but Jodi proves them wrong!”
