Hello GVAWL staff/volunteers/board members,
My name is Haylea Turner and back on January 31st, 2019, I had the immense privilege and honor of adopting, then André, now Oliver (middle name now André to honor the love and care you all gave him), into my heart and my home. As we are inching closer to celebrating 4 fantastically indescribable trips around the sun together, I decided now was a perfect time to sit down and reflect on all the life we have lived so far and share with you all the tremendous impact Oliver has had on my life and my family’s.
When Oliver and I first had the opportunity to cross paths in 2019, I was pretty down and out on my luck and, humbly, the most depressed I have ever been in my entire life and in desperate need of a friend. While I do not recommend to others getting a dog when they are pretty down, something was telling me this is what I needed and at the very least, just look at the shelters in and around town. Oliver was one of the first dogs I found when searching for a potential companion and something inside of me shifted that moment I saw those STUNNING orange eyes. I have always been partial to black labs, as I was given a stuffed animal black lab when I was a baby and dragged that toy around with me everywhere- even when it came time to move to the valley for college. You could say it was kismet, finding him at your shelter. Encouraged by my father, I visited other shelters and met many other dogs but always left thinking about one in particular- Oliver. I remember my dad telling me on the phone that what I really wanted was a tiny, fluffy, puppy. It only made me more sure of what I felt I already knew, and that was that the Universe was drawing me towards not just any dog, but this dog, MY dog, Oliver.
I went through all the appropriate steps and interviews (at the time I was living on campus and was told GVAWL does not adopt out to students living on campus that often but I was willing to jump through any and every hoop and climb every mountain to at least try to build a life with Oliver) and finally, on January 31st, 2019, I took home truly the best thing that has ever happened to me and single handedly saved my life in every way one could be saved. We had the most beautiful first year together, bonding, training, exploring, and growing. And then our lives fundamentally changed forever.
I had just started my final semester of senior year at Western when on Oliver’s one-year adoption anniversary, I received a phone call very early in the morning letting me know my father had a really bad fall and was permanently paralyzed from the neck down and that I needed to return to my hometown of Colorado Springs immediately. I packed up what was most important (dog food and Oliver) and hurried back home. I never did return to Gunnison except to pack up what I left behind. Oliver and I were both, and still are, so young and had a lot of training and growing to do still, and I was determined to continue to show up for Oliver, and my family. My father spent over three weeks in the ICU and a couple times a week, every week, for weeks to come, Oliver and I sat at my dad’s bedside in the ICU. You see, that’s when Oliver’s position title of MY life saver, became OUR life saver. He was the only thing that really brought my dad joy for a long time, as Oliver had done for me before. He quickly became a celebrity in the ICU among other patients and staff and made an unbelievably difficult time, a little softer, one wiggly nub at a time (yes, a nub, he’s never had a tail lol). I believe with everything that I am that Oliver held my family and I together and brought so much love, joy, and hope, we would have otherwise lacked during this time. My father would be bounced back and forth between hospitals and spinal rehabs in Denver, but he always made sure a big print out photo of Oliver was with him to adorn his walls, wherever he went, because they too were the best of friends. But our journey was still only beginning.
During this time, Oliver had shifted from being solely my dog, to now being a family dog- nay, a family MEMBER. My mother was notoriously terrified of animals in general and didn’t really want anything to do with Oliver at first. I think Oliver could sense my mom was in need of a friend, just as I had been in need of one when Oliver and I first crossed paths and he began sneaking into bed with her during the night. Almost four years later, and she is the proudest “grand-dog-mom” there simply has ever been. Shortly after my dad’s fall, my brother left for the Marines boot camp and would send letters home frequently asking for pictures of Oliver and wondering about our latest adventures. I think they both miss their ultimate tug-of-war partner.
Once the initial chaos of the tragedy my family and I experienced simmered down, it was time to get back to living for ourselves again and getting to adventure and explore this giant rock we live on. He’s been to four different states with me, our most recent journey being the Oregon coast where I had the privilege of watching Oliver really witness and take in his first sunset on the beach sand dunes of the Oregon coast.
I know this is extremely long, and if you have made it this far, I commend you and thank you again, for taking the time to read about a girls wild, incomprehensible, immeasurable, indescribable, limitless, love for her soul-dog, her best friend, her shoulder to cry on, keeper of secrets, security detail, personal vacuum, and entire world. It is important for me to share our testimony to gently remind you that what you all are doing matters so much more than you ever imagined. You are changing lives in every capacity for the better. I have never known this type of unconditional, undeserving, and unfailing love before this four-legged life saver his pranced into my life. Thank you so much for the immense care and consideration you provided him, and continue to provide to so many other furry friends who just need someone to believe in them and advocate for them. I have never been so grateful in my entire life. Because of your kindness and compassion, I get to live such an unexpectedly beautiful life that is more fulfilling and enriching because I get to see it through Oliver’s gorgeous, orange, eyes. I had no idea that when I felt the Universe was pulling us together, that his love would go far beyond me. He’s changed all of our lives and we could never imagine this life without him. Never has there ever been a dog so loved and cherished.
THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!!!!!!!!
Fiona is a Terrier/Shepherd mix that we adopted from GVAWL. She is probably one of the smartest dogs we have owned. Even though she is young she is housebroken, knows how to sit and shake hands, and can fetch balls all day. She is a happy girl and a joy to be around. I am so glad we found her.