Wouldn’t you know? Our least traditionally “adoptable” foster so far has turned out to be the one to find her new home the fastest!

We are thrilled to announce that she has officially started her new, wonderful life without us. We couldn’t be more happy for her (and momentarily sad for ourselves).

With each of our foster dogs, we end up developing a picture of what the perfect family will be like. For Lollie Wonderdog, we dreamed of a nice, active family with plenty of patience, a big yard, and kind children to be Lollie’s best friends. For Gonzo Bunny-Ears, we held out for the rare adopter who worked from home, had another dog in the house, and would be willing to keep his important middle name of “Bunny-Ears.” With Stevie, we seeked sensitivity and tenderness, plus a little boy for Stevie to bond with, play with, and snuggle with on rainy days. In each instance, we won big.

With Little Zee it was not so clear. Zee is so easygoing that we came up with very few requirements for her forever-family. Sure, they would have to love her and appreciate how special she is — but who wouldn’t? Zee could be a great match for a seasoned dog-owner or a first-timer. She could live in the city or the country. She could have an apartment or a house. Children or no children? Doesn’t much matter.

But in the end we found a match so perfect that we couldn’t have even dreamed it up. Zee’s new mama, C, is an art therapist who works with seniors in assisted living facilities. She understands through and through that age is just an abstract label that cannot fairly be used to judge an individual’s abilities, dreams, or value in the world. C routinely ignores what so much of our society can’t look past — age-related disabilities and wrinkled skin — and helps individuals express themselves and thrive in a safe, warm environment. If there ever were a clear match for our Little Zee, I think we’ve found it.

So a few days ago, as Little Zee trotted and bounced her way out of our lives, we knew that she was wiggling her way into something truly special. Good luck little girl, your life has just begun.

When the third great adoption application arrived in one week — in the first week — we stopped thinking that the universe was playing a funny trick on us and realized that Little Zee is just something really special.

Before Zee, even our most quintessentially adoptable dogs took at least 8 or 10 weeks to find their way home. An eight year old dog with neurological problems who needs help up and down the stairs and can’t be around small animals? We thought it would take at least 3-4 months — if we were lucky — to find her a home.

Turns out our thinking was all wrong. Zee’s snuggly personality, compact size, beautiful face, and low-key nature actually make her exactly what many people are looking for.

In the weeks since the first one — when we received three stellar applications for Zee — we have been thinking and mulling, conducting interviews, answering questions and asking them, and hosting meet-and-greets, doing home visits, and going for walks.

We have also been celebrating. What does it mean, if three wonderful sets of people found Zee right after she was rescued and thought they might like to share their life with her? And which of these three wonderful sets of people — an art therapist and her husband who are looking for their perfect dog, one who will be sweet to them and their future children; a public health professional who lives in an exciting part of the city and wants a snuggly, easy dog to be her companion on the town; and an artist who met Zee when we were out shopping and instantly fell in love — will be Zee’s Ones?

Stay tuned to find out.