An Open Letter To The Person Who Gave Away Archer

When I walked into the North Melbourne Lost Dogs Home that day, I could have never envisioned how much Letho (now renamed Archer) would change my life. There he was. A small, five-month-old Border Collie cross was shaking with fear in the corner of his cage. As I approached, his eyes lit up, and he made his way to greet me, friendly as could be. Instantly I thought “why is this dog here.”

This little dog had a name and bio that made him sound like the world’s worst dog. “Letho” was unable to walk on a lead, chewed up belongings, required at least 2-3 hours of running per day, and needed constant attention or he would act out. I stood there questioning if this dog was the right dog for me. I work full time so could I care for “Letho” correctly?

The instant he came to the front of the cage, I knew he was going to be my dog. He was curious and excited to meet new people. He had a sense of adventure and wanted to explore the world around him. But he was hesitant. It was apparent he was afraid that we might leave him and he would go back to his empty cage.

His first car ride home, he sat so patiently in the back seat of the car. Still, there was a fear in his eyes. The rescue shelter didn’t give us much of a background on him. Only that he was brought to the shelter and was going to need lots of attention. I wondered about his origins and how they might affect him moving forward.

Meeting my little man for the first time.

I quickly found these worries were for nothing. Over the last year and a half, I’ve watched this teeny bundle of joy grow and share his personality with me. While yes, he does need exercise (what dog doesn’t), he has become NOTHING like his original description.

Sure, he gets pretty hyper when he hasn’t had a walk. But after his walk, he’s calm, cuddly, and wanting to be near his people. Did you just not walk him enough?

His first bath; he was not amused.

I quickly found that he has the Border Collie tendency of getting anxious when his people aren’t around. After a few trials and errors, this was corrected with puzzle toys and food to keep him occupied when he was alone. I’m curious, did you not realised that Archer just missed you? That he is an incredibly intelligent dog and needs mental stimulation?

Archer is one of the most intuitive dogs I’ve ever come across. But you never took the time to realise that. He is very perceptive of others emotions and does a fantastic job calming you down when you’re sad or anxious. Within the first couple of months, Archer was able to sense I was going to get a migraine before I would actually get them. He’d touch his paw to my forehead, warning me of what was to come. Are you aware this dog has literally saved my life?

Nap time cuddles.

I am forever grateful that Archer is my dog. That I am the one that gets the privilege of learning more about him every day. That I’m the one who gets to share in his unconditional love. That’s the beautiful things about dogs. It doesn’t matter if you’re rich, poor, beautiful, ugly, nice, mean, etc., they love you for who you are no matter what.

I wonder if you’ll ever know that kind of unconditional love. I wonder if you’ll ever realise how much you lost the day you gave away Archer. If not, it’s a pity. For I will forever be grateful that you decided that loving, adorable puppy was too much for you to handle. My life is better for your decision.

He occassionally tucks himself in.

I’ve been extremely fortunate to have a housemate that helps me take care of Archer. We’ve been lucky that we’re able to split the responsibility of owning our dogs. Because owning a dog is hard work! With the holiday season upon us, I cannot stress how important it is to understand this if you’re choosing to get an animal as a present.

Do your research because not all breeds have the same energy/maintenance levels. Are you going to want the animal still when they are no longer a tiny baby? Most importantly, please adopt! Do not shop! Animal shelters are so overfilled with animals that need a good home. Save a life by going to a shelter.