"I'm gonna make this place your home"
It was freezing cold that day, the snow flurrying around to the extent where you could barely see where you were going. Most chose to stay home that day, I didn't. I had to go out to buy supplies for the new Baltic Husky I was going to be taking in. I purchased a large pink dog bed, food and water bowls, food, a large crate, and a couple toys, my favorite purchase being a plush hedgehog toy I nicknamed "Scrooge". I arrived home that afternoon, and prepared the house for her arrival. I knew she was no longer a puppy, but still wanted to make sure that the house was puppy-proofed, I didn't want her to accidentally hurt herself. The rescue worker was supposed to bring her by that afternoon, but with the snowfall being as heavy as it was, most of the roads were blocked off and those that weren't were packed so much they looked more like parking lots than roads.
By the time the rescue worker arrived it was close to 7pm, and the sun, which you could barely see over the clouds, had already set. I was in the sitting room reading and drinking tea when the doorbell rang, the sound followed by a scared yelp. I set down my book and mug half full of tea, I'm a bit of an optimist, and walked over, excitement building as I imagined my new dog. The worker walked inside the second I opened the door, though I don't blame them as it was absolutely freezing outside. Inside their gloved hands the worker held a pink leash which was attached to her, my new dog. She was a lot skinnier than I expected, I could see her ribcage through her pale fur, and her brown eyes were widened with fear. "So this is her." I muttered in excitement, closing the door so as to avoid unnecessary entry hall snowfall.
The rescue worker nodded, but before handing over the leash said, "She was found in an abandoned lot. She's frightened of loud noises and suffers from separation anxiety, but is still a good dog. However if you can't handle her just give us a call and while find her a new home."
I immediately shook my head, dismissing any thought of giving her back up. This dog looked like she had been through the worst of it and I wasn't about to give up at the mention of trouble. Taking my nod as a cue to go, the rescue worker handed me the leash and after a short goodbye to the dog, they left. The second they walked out the door the dog started to whimpering, which started loud and only got louder. Despite the dog's cries, I tried to stay positive, focusing my energy on coming up with a name. Suddenly my phone rang, playing my ringtone, a short snippet of the song "Human" by Christina Perri. Addy freaked out at the sound, and ran off into the corner of the room, whimpering with her tail between her legs. I went to answer my phone but the song lyrics made me pause, the line "I'm Only Human" playing over and over again in my mind. I glanced at the dog, who was still whining and pawing at the door, and found the line seemed to represent her. "I'm Only Human, that'll be your name, well your official name. And I'll call you... Addy." I announced, talking more to myself than to her.
For how I came up with Addy it was quite simple. I had this friend back in Middle School who had been adopted when she was 8. I can still remember the stories she told me of her life before she was adopted and how terrible it was. This dog reminded me of her, because just like my friend she may have bent, but she did not, would not break.
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