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Rachael Rodgers
@trailsandbears

201,189 followers

This is Wilma. She’s four years old and #adoptable Wilma stirred from her cool nap spot at her shelter to greet me yesterday. Before formal salutations, I was a recipient of a Wilma Bear Hug. She helped get geared up for an outing and chomped the leash to teach me its best use: tug of war. We drove a ways through Nova Scotia farmland to a waterfall hike (carefully selected for its cooling amenities on this hot day: fully shaded and creekside for continuous cool-down opportunities). We were greeted by a cloud of mosquitoes and a fella on a dirt bike. Wilma chomped at skeeters but made time to perform a barky, jumpy, dog-walker-shaming skit as the fella ripped past. He noticed; the skit served its purpose. As he rode away, Wilma‘s smile said [that couldn’t have went any better]. With a rowdy XL Wilma securely attached to my body twice and a personal escort of mosquitoes, the easy 7km return hike loomed before us. Wilma walked through the creek, but she wouldn’t go in much past her ankles (thus nearly completely negating the cooling potential of the carefully selected excursion). She complied to requests to follow across a few wooden bridges and then led the way across a few more. After much unsynchronized hiking, our team made it to the destination: beautiful falls with a wading spot (which we wouldn’t be using) and the option to climb above the falls on ropes (which we wouldn’t be climbing). Wilma sat for some photo documentation at probably one of her least fave destinations before hauling our team purposefully away. She knew the way back and kept a slow, steady pace. Likes: snacks, bear hugs, rolling in grass, water and mud up to her ankles, car rides, sniffing walks, causing a spectacle. Dislikes: hiking too fast, wading, mosquitoes, strange lady reaching into her space. Do you know someone looking for a sweet, rowdy forever buddy? Wilma is available now from @laanimal.shelter in Amherst, NS. An XL thank you to the folks at @vca_canada: with their help, an extra adoptable is subjected to one of these home-finding adventures each month. Wilma is July’s unknowing recipient.