Caylee and Danita

Caylee, Charlotte & Bodine with one of the darlings.

We are so lucky at ACE to have so many lovely, hardworking students who come as interns as part of their different courses. Many come with strict instructions from their parents - please don't ask us to if you can bring one of the dogs home. But parents love their kids and instructions can always be changed. Here's the story of Caylee and Danita.

It's 25 January 2014 and I am very nervous, not knowing what is waiting for me and my two classmates Charlotte & Bodine as we leave for Spain. We're off on a new adventure, a 10-week internship at ACE. It turned out to be the best choice I could have made because there is nothing more beautiful than working in the refugio at ACE. 

Every day we had fun on the mountain, about half an hours walk from La Cala up to the refugio. No matter how hard it rained or how hot it was, nothing stopped us. Because the dogs are there whether it's raining or hot, so it was no problem to go to work. Yes, certainly, sometimes it was difficult. But it makes you feel so good to see skinny, listless dogs change. They put on some weight and strangely enough they still have confidence in man! Amazing. You do it all for the dogs! Because of the dogs.

Falling in love - Caylee and Danita

Well I went out there knowing that I mustn't get attached and bring a little dog home. They had warned me. I could not bring a dog home. But then one day we went up to the field with the dogs from  Section 2. One dog stood out for me. She was constantly following me. All I had to do was whistle, only once, and there she'd be standing next to me. It was the same when I walked in the section. She was one of the few that kept asking for attention until I gave it to her. 

From that moment it was very difficult for the thing I feared happened. I fell in love with Danita! But it felt more like she had picked me! After briefly consulting my parents and convincing them that I really could not leave her behind, they soon agreed.  I could go ahead and reserve Danita! After the home visit it was all arranged. On 4th April she flew home!

Leaving Spain was very difficult. On the one hand I wanted to go home so I could show Danita what it is like to have a warm basket. And to show her that there really are people who care about her! But on the other hand, I did not want to leave. It felt like I had left all the other 300 dogs behind. There were a lot of tears shed upon our departure.

Settling in!

Once at home everything went well from the start. Danita walked nicely on the lead and ate well. She wanted to play with every dog she met. She was actually already quite housebroken, just the occasional accident inside but that can happen. And you could see immediately that she felt at home. We were also curious to see how she would get on with our 1-year-old female. And over a few weeks they got used to each other with no problems. They are now best girlfriends; they play together, work together to cause mischief and sleep together. 

We quickly signed up for a training course for beginners and this we completed in time for the summer holidays.  This Friday we start agility. Danita is getting better off the lead. 
She is a lovely dog ​​and I am very happy that she was there during my internship! And she is happy with me too. Last July I went back to the refugio for a week. I helped again, with pleasure, along with Kelly. And I'm definitely going to go back a number of times. Because ACE is now well inside my heart and it feels like coming home. 

With her new friend.

Finally, I want  to thank ACE for the great time I had during my internship and for completing the adoption proceedures for Danita so well! We are fortunate to have an organization such as ACE. And of course, Fabienne and Dirk above all, who give everything they have so that the dogs will have a home.

Greetings from Caylee Postmus & a paw from Danita!