Crossroads

I've been sitting on some information for a while.

I couldn't say anything until I had permission. (Hence, the suspension of this blog.)

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As you know, Echo was one of the dogs that the "All American Dogs" program (AAD) had in training to be a service dog.

Well, on or about December 6th, AAD went "sideways".  In fact, it no longer exists.

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One of the first things that the person left in control of what was left (Jean) did was to make decisions about the dogs that were in the program.

Jean's original goal for Echo was to place her with a veteran that loved her, and she would love in return.  ... and, hopefully, Echo would make that veteran's life better.

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To, more or less, cut to the chase:  I'm a veteran.  If you have read this blog, then you know I love Echo, and she loves me. ... and, thanks to the bond that has been created between us, she makes my life better.

Jean came to this conclusion before I did.

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On December 6th, I was told it was going to happen.  Today, finally, it did.

The final paperwork making Echo my dog was handed to me this last afternoon.

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I expected ... I don't know ... some kind of disappointment, or regret from Jean, today, when this happened.

She gave me gifts.  (her favorite pictures of Echo, in a really nice frame ... and EVERYTHING she had about Echo, and collies, to include a nice "baby picture" of Echo) ... THEN, she gave me a big hug.

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At the start, I said that this blog was going to be a "love letter" of Echo's journey to being with "her veteran".  ... That I was going to chronicle all the love and care that she was given, for that person.

I didn't know that "her veteran" was going to be me.

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Echo and I have a lot of options before us.  I'm not sure which one we are going to take.

It will, probably, be late January, or early February, before those decisions are made.

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If she doesn't move on into service dog training, that raises the question of the continuance of this blog.

At that point, it is, probably, better if blogging about her took place on my personal blog.

If that happens, I will post a link to it on this blog, as my final post.