Text Box: For this story, I chose “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” by Elton John because of what this young Collie had already endured and the tragic accident she would have a few weeks later that could have been fatal. She was less than a year old when she came to us and I was going to do what ever it took to keep this precious soul alive. Faith came to me in November of 2001. She was found roaming outside of my vet’s clinic thin, scared and timid. Thinking that one of my Collies had gotten loose the vet’s receptionist called me and asked if I was missing a Collie, my reply was I better not be as he was fifteen minutes away. I asked what was going to happen to her and they informed me that they were going to send her to the local pound and I said I’ll be right over to pick her up. When I arrived, they showed me this poor frightened and timid young Collie that was placed in the bathroom. I went in and patted her but she was so timid that she barely moved. The sparkle in her eye had completely disappeared. My vet told me that it took him twenty minutes to catch her and he was so afraid that she was going to dart out into the road because she was so frightened. I had her fully vaccinated and checked over and then brought her home and placed her in my den where she could settle in without the burden of so many other dogs being around. During the next five days all she did was whimper and whine. Every time I tried to sit with her to pat her and comfort her, she would shy away and hide in a corner or hide under a table. This really distressed me as I knew then she had been badly abused and neglected. I called a friend of mine and informed her of the situation and she explained that if I could not turn her around in two weeks she would have to be put down for her sake that she just endured too much. I told her that was just not going to happen so I started my almost impossible task. The door to the den was open with a baby gate up so every time I passed the room I stopped and made it a point to say you’re a good girl Faith and just spoke to her a little bit in a soft voice. As I sat with her every day and talked to her in a gentle way she finally started trusting me and began to inch up to me slowly day by day. About the time the two weeks were up she finally came all the way up to me and laid down beside me and let me stroke her body and rub her head. I named her Faith because I told her that she would have to have faith in me in order for me to help her and she did. Faith adapted very well after that.