On Synchronicity, Purpose, and a New Home for Zar

by Penny Costello

My Phone Gallery

 Those who know me know I’m a crazy dog lady. My Facebook news feed is filled with images from various animal rescues, lost pet groups, and regularly posted pictures of the dogs in my home and in my care under the moniker of “Snuggly Dog Chronicles”. The vast majority of photos in my phone are captures of canine cuteness.

Those who truly know me understand that if they tell me they’re thinking of getting a dog, they’ll soon be receiving shared posts of dogs up for adoption in rescues until they either choose and adopt, or they tell me to stop. I can’t help it. If dog-human matchmaking were a profession, I would be wildly happy and successful. As it is not, I’m blessed and/or cursed to answer this calling, passion, or purpose as a hobbyist.

One day, late in December 2021 I saw a Facebook post seeking a new home for a very sweet-looking Brittany Spaniel mix. His owner, the post said, would be moving into assisted living soon, and sadly, she would be unable to keep the dog.

Becky, Jeff, & Sunday

 

 

Without another thought, I sent the post to one of my oldest friends from high school. Becky lives in Spearfish, South Dakota, with her husband, Jeff. Her first very own dog, Sunday, infused in her a lifelong love of Brittany Spaniels. After Sunday, she had Josie, another Brittany, followed by many dogs of many other breed mixes. A crazy dog lady like me.

I had no clue whether or not Becky was even considering getting a dog when I shared the post with this message. “If you want him, I’ll deliver him to you.”

A few hours later, Becky texted back, “Oh my heart… a Brittany!’

“Yep,” I texted, “you could name him Monday. 😊”

“We’ll have to talk. I’ll call you in about a half-hour.” And she did. And that’s where the synchronicity comes in.

Earlier that day, Becky had looked out her window at the house next door, where her daughter’s family lives. She saw their dog, Zara, sitting at the door hopefully waiting to come inside. Zara is a sweet, rambunctious young Labrador Retriever.

Becky texted her daughter, “Zara wants me to tell you she wants to come inside.”

Her daughter texted, “Zara wants me to tell you she wants to come live with you.”

Becky replied, “Nope. When I get another dog, it’s going to be a Brittany.” That afternoon, she received my offer to deliver a sweet Brittany, who needed a new home, and whose name, by the way, is Zar.

Zar

Carl Jung coined the term synchronicity in the 1920s, to describe those occurrences of seeming coincidence that make us sit up and pay attention. Jung believed, and I agree, that the human soul is in a collaborative, playful relationship with the energies of the universe between what is seen and what is unseen. When these events happen, they illuminate our soul connection to those energies and each other.  When synchronistic things like this happen in my life, I’m filled with a sense of wonder and delight.

Becky and I reached out to Faith, who had created the Facebook post seeking a new home for Zar. Faith’s mother was Zar’s owner who was soon transitioning to assisted living, which meant Zar would be coming to live with Faith and her family until a new home was found. We set up a Zoom meeting with Faith, her mother, and Zar to see if a good match could be made. When we all agreed it seemed like a good match, the next thing to do was get Zar to his new home in Spearfish.

Faith and Zar

In my mind and heart, Zar needed to be able to weigh in on this proposition, too. I wanted to meet him and get to know him a little before I turned up at his house, a complete stranger who would whisk him away from the life and family he’d known to an unknown and unchosen future. 

Faith welcomed me to her home to get better acquainted with her and Zar. We spent about an hour together, humans getting acquainted, Zar and I getting to know each other through scratches and smells. I was immediately struck by his sweet disposition, good manners, and incredibly soft fur. He was struck by the smells of multiple dogs on my shoes, clothes, and hands. I loved him almost instantly, and he decided I was okay, too. The next time I would see Zar, I would be whisking him away to a new life.

As I prepared for our road trip, my emotions railed between excitement to introduce this new family member to a great home with one of my dearest friends and her family, and true sadness for Zar and his current family who had to say goodbye due to circumstances beyond their choosing.

Road trip day arrived. When I entered Faith’s house, Zar was happy to see me. Her mother was there as well, and I was glad for the chance to meet her in person and reassure her that he was going to a good place. They sent his bed, a bag of food, and treats with him, along with kisses, hugs, and high hopes.

We put his bed in the back seat, and he jumped in the car in eager anticipation of adventure. I sat in back with him, and my wife, Kate took the first driving shift of the 550-mile trip to his new home. As we drove through town, he looked excitedly out the windows, taking in the sights. But as we came to the outskirts of town and neared the interstate, his excitement turned to anxiety. There was clearly a shift in his energy, as if he was saying, “Wait. What? Where ARE we going? What’s going on?” He whined and whimpered. Eager anticipation gave way to fear of the unknown.

“It’s okay, Zar,” I tried to comfort him. “You’re on your way to a new home with a family who is going to love you so much, and they are so excited for you to be there.” A staunch believer in animal communication and the importance of talking to your dog(s) about things that will be happening in their lives before they happen, I explained to him that I was not going to be his new person, that he was going to meet more new people, and big changes were happening for him, but he would be okay. I continued to pet him and talk to him until he rather sadly laid down and rested his head on my leg.

Over the next nine hours on the road, Zar would occasionally sit up and look around to see where we were now. When we stopped for lunch and later for gas, I took him for brief walks to stretch his legs, sniff, and take care of doggy business. His spirits lifted through the day, but didn’t completely return to the happy excitement when he first jumped into the car.

As we approached South Dakota, I took over driving, and Zar had the back seat to himself. He was calm, occasionally checking out the scenery, and then settling back onto his bed. When we finally reached the exit to Spearfish, I rolled down the back windows about halfway, and I said, “Check it out, Zar. This is your new home town. You’re almost home, Buddy.”

He sat up and stuck his head out the window, ears flying in the breeze. The fearful, sad expression had left his face, and he was clearly taking in all the sites and smells with curiosity and, it felt to me, a sense of acceptance. He seemed to be thinking, “So, this is it, eh? Okay. Doesn’t seem like a bad place.”

Zar, Warrior, and Zeke

When we arrived at Becky’s, she welcomed us in, and Zar immediately started exploring the house, sniffing, gently greeting Becky, then Jeff, and the resident dog, Zeke. He was polite in meeting Warrior, an ancient cat whose approval would be imperative for Zar’s continued presence in this house. After about an hour, we left him there and settled into our hotel for the night. As we left the house and got into the car to leave, I heard Zar whimper, and I knew I was going to miss him, too. The next morning, Becky texted photos of him peacefully snuggled in on her bed. He was home.

Becky and Zar

As I look back on this trip with Zar, I am grateful for the chance to get to know this sweet soul. I marvel at the synchronicity that connected me with him, and with his former and future families. I am honored to have been entrusted by his people, and by Zar himself to help him transition to a new home. And I was able to play a part in fulfilling a wish for an old friend. For a person seeking purpose, it doesn’t get much better than that.

It's a good reminder not to overthink whether or not we are fulfilling our purpose in life. Sometimes it’s the synchronicities that allow us to have the biggest impact with very little effort when we trust the universe and our own humanity. Sincere thanks to a woman named Faith, and a sweet, resilient dog named Zar for teaching me that lesson.

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