Amid the COVID lockdown in Kigali City. Jacob, Izuba, and I were going crazy from staying in the house for weeks on end. Izuba and I were bouncing off the walls with energy while Jacob tried to focus on his work despite our loud distractions.
For several months, since the death of our tiny puppy Delilah, Jacob wanted a new dog. Izuba needed a friend and I clearly needed something to keep me preoccupied other than my mind-numbing job search. Well, Jacob and I were in luck! A few months earlier a dog was found and given to Rwanda’s only dog rescue, Wag. Wag named her Donna and a month later, Donna had nine beautiful puppies. Seven of them were brown, like Izuba, and two of them were black with little brown eyebrows and brown paws. Jacob looked at the photos and knew immediately which one he wanted. It was the little black one with big eyes and big ears that stuck out like Dumbo’s ears. Jacob and Izuba went to visit the puppies on the way to the veterinarian clinic (I wasn’t allowed because the Rwandan Government was only permitting one person per car unless you had a valid reason).
Although I wasn’t present, here is the story I heard from Jacob: He and Izuba arrived at the foster’s home after being stopped three times by the police to ask their reason for being out. Immediately after arrival at the foster home, Izuba started her Izuba shenanigans. She started chasing the puppies, desperately trying to sniff them and convince them to play with her. Because Izuba never had a mother and was barely socialized with other dogs, her style of playing is quite intimidating for those not used to her. While Jacob tried to corral Izuba away from the puppies, he saw the cutest little boy. A little black puppy ran up to him, wagging his tail. Jacob put him on his lap and the little puppy started giving kisses. This puppy was alarmed by Izuba’s hyperactive manner but was not deterred from becoming Jacob’s new best friend.
About 30 minutes later Jacob arrived home with a tiny black puppy in tow!
While we instantly loved our new addition, the first week was exhausting. Ares started showing signs of sickness a few days after he came home. We were force-feeding him and up with him all night while he threw up. He was quickly brought to the clinic when we realized the sickness was more than we could mend. After some blood tests and exams, the vet gave him antibiotics and IV fluids to rehydrate the sick pup. After a few days, he started to improve, but not without some surprise additional health problems! Not only did he have an internal infection, but he also had an external infection that caused his hair to fall off in large clumps leaving behind indented, red wounds. At this point, Jacob and I knew we were cursed with adopting sick dogs. The vet gave us medicine and ointments and we took Ares back home to nurse him back to health.
Now two months later, Ares is the sweetest, most mischievous pup I’ve ever seen. He and Izuba will chase each other in circles for hours. He loves to steal clothes and dig up rocks in the yard and steal Izuba’s food when she doesn’t eat fast enough. He has huge paws, but a bigger head, and even bigger ears that stand straight up. While we may be cursed with taking homesick dogs, we are blessed to have our little Ares!
