Mom Knows She's 'Foster Failure' After Dog Smiles at Her for 1st Time, Keeps Her Forever
Is failure ever a blessing? It certainly doesn’t feel so while in the middle of it.
Given our druthers, any of us would rather sail along with each day linked to the next by a never-ending chain of successes. However, we all know that life simply doesn’t work that way.
And if we look carefully at our lives and the histories of others, I think we can admit that failures sometimes lead to great things. That’s a truth a Los Angeles-based animal advocate knows full well.
Ellen Ballon Dante didn’t always spend her days saving needy dogs, according to Voyage LA.
“In 2000, I moved from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Los Angeles,” she said.
“I had taken a job here in commercial real estate because that is what I had been doing before I left. I quickly realized that it was time. Time to pursue my passions.”
That included starting Deity Animal Rescue, a nonprofit that says its mission is “to rescue, rehabilitate and place stray, neglected and shelter dogs into loving, responsible and committed homes. We do not discriminate on age, breed or ease of placement.”
Part of Dante’s job included fostering specific animals until she could help find forever homes for them. With one particular pooch, though, she ended up failing big time.
A pit bull named Honey came to Dante’s attention one day, according to a video by The Dodo.
In January 2018, Dante was inspecting kennels at a rescue center when she happened upon a sad pittie peering up at her from her cage. The dog seemed dejected, and Dante asked about her.
Staff explained that she had little chance of getting adopted. As an older dog, she’d already gone through much of her socialization process and seemed to not have much patience for other canines or kids.
Still, something made Dante want to take a risk on Honey. And once she brought the pit bull home, she discovered something: The staff’s warnings were completely wrong.
Honey got along just swimmingly with Dante’s son and some smaller pooches she had at her house. But she also had a charming habit that stole the animal lover’s heart.
“She smiles so much that she sneezes,” she explained. “It’s the cutest thing.”
During their first meeting, Dante recalled, “I said, ‘Hi, mama!’ And she smiled from ear to ear. It was that moment that I knew that she was our dog.”
Apparently, that’s not unheard of. According to Scientific American, canine “sneezing is a protective reflex that expels air, typically when something is irritating the nasal passage,” and Honey’s big, old smiles might be letting air in.
Whatever the reason, Dante found herself smitten. She’d failed utterly at being a doggy foster mom.
“Initially, I was trying to find her a home,” she explained. “She’s eight years old, and she needs a home.
“I knew I couldn’t let her go, so she’s still with us. And she will be with us as long as she’ll give us.”
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