“We should get a dog.”
I don’t remember who said it first, but adopting a dog kept coming up in our conversations. We both enjoyed having a dog in the past, but we weren’t really sure if we wanted the responsibility of a pet. We appreciated the companionship, but then we’d have to deal with dog poop in the backyard. With the end of chemo in sight, we could be traveling more often, but caring for a pet would limit our spontaneous trips. What should we do?
After recognizing that we were both leaning towards “Yes,” we settled on going to a few local shelters ‘just in case’ someone was waiting for us. Several shelters later, we’d met some beautiful dogs eager to find a loving family, but we still hadn’t found “our” dog. SK came home a little early one afternoon, so we visited some of the animal shelters in Fort Worth. A visit to the Humane Society revealed they only had puppies and large dogs, so our next stop was the huge city-run animal shelter in southeast Fort Worth.
An attendant called our name and we made our way down the sterile hallway. The hospital-like feel reminded me that this was a kill shelter, and our echoing footsteps made the place seem even sadder. I could hear the barking in the distance and it threatened to overwhelm us by the time we made it to the door.
“Here we go.”
The puppies with their pink noses pressed through the bars of the wire cages nearly broke my heart. We didn’t get past the third cage on the first aisle. This adorable black and white dog was sitting there calmly looking up at us. Even with all the other dogs barking, he just sat there wagging his tail as if to say, “It’s about time ya’ll got here.” We had to meet him!
He seemed to have a great personality, and he appeared healthy. We played with him for awhile, and then excused ourselves from the handler and went to talk. I really wanted to take him home, but I wasn’t sure how SK felt about him. She looked at me and said, “I think he needs to go home with us.” Yay! We filled out the paperwork, paid the fee, and Toby joined our family. Toby’s only been with us for two weeks, but it is hard to imagine our house without him.
—
If you are looking to adopt a pet, please consider your local animal shelter. A lifetime of love awaits you!
Alliance of Free Blogs - I found You Know You Wanna while searching for kitty porn. No, that's not a typo.
You have a great blog. I would love to link to you. My visitors would be interested in your posts. Just submit your site to mine on http://www.BlogIntroduction.com
Comment by Z — August 6, 2005 @ 8:44 am
Offtopic: Your 5 Qs 4 u are done!
Comment by Doris — August 6, 2005 @ 11:55 am
I am so happy to hear of people who are more interested in finding “their” dog than a purebred status symbol. Wait a minute, I feel a blog speach comming on..lol.
My husband and I will probably never have a dog since he wants an outdoor dog and I have a whole ‘nother set of issures with that.
I hope that Toby brings you and SK all the love and happiness imaginable. And don’t worry, the right dog can make the best travel buddy!
Comment by Actressdancer — August 6, 2005 @ 2:44 pm
Such a great story! So happy about your new addition. I got my dog through Siberian Husky Rescue. At the time, there were 65 sibes that needed placement in Southern California alone — people apparently buy them because they’re cute puppies, then are shocked when these intelligent & independent dogs get destructive when left untrained and alone.
Another great thing about rescues and shelter animals is that generally the people who work with them will know a bit about their personalities, so you can know ahead of time if they will fit into your home. My husky is an absolute angel around children and other animals, even cats. I’ve never once regretted getting an animal through a shelter or rescue.
Comment by Baniarla — August 6, 2005 @ 7:46 pm
Much coolness
*wants a dog*.
You know what the next demand is going to be. Piiiiictures!
Comment by Tarss — August 7, 2005 @ 12:24 am
Honestly, people shouldn’t ever get a dog from a breeder unless they’re looking for a pure bred show dog. There are too many dogs in shelters these days. And you know what, your dog will be EVEN MORE loyal to you, if you can even imagine it, because they KNOW that you saved them.
Comment by Pauly D — August 7, 2005 @ 2:25 am
Z - Thanks! I look forward to seeing it.
Doris - Wahoo! Answers posted!
Actressdancer - It breaks my heart when I see dogs chained up outside in the heat. Their chain will be wrapped around the tree so many times they can’t reach their water, and I want to chain their owner up like that and let them see how it feels. /soapbox
Hopefully, ya’ll will be able to come to some kind of agreement! I will keep my fingers crossed. Toby seems to be great in the car so far - Let’s hope we can find hotels that are dog friendly
Baniarla - Thanks for stopping by! I’ve never had a Husky, but a friend of mine did when I was younger. They are such great and beautiful dogs! I think that is why there are so many large dogs in shelters though - people just see the cute puppy, and aren’t willing to put the love and attention into training them. Once the puppy grows up, the “owner” gets frustrated and takes the dog to the shelter.
You are right - Even at such a large shelter, the handler adored Toby and knew quite a bit about his personality.
Tarss - Yes, yes :p I’ll get there. He’s still recovering from getting fixed. He needs his privacy
Pauly D - I totally agree and it gives me hope to see so many people who believe in shelters and rescues!
Comment by Jaxia — August 7, 2005 @ 1:23 pm
I often traveled with my dog (when I had one). You’d be suprised how many hotels allow pets, usually for an additional fee (around $5 a night, most often). Even when there isn’t anything posted, I would just ask the person at the desk.
I have found that the ‘motel’ style (the door to the room leads directly outside) is more pet friendly as it is easier to make the 2 am outside potty run.
That’s just my 2 cents…
Comment by Actressdancer — August 7, 2005 @ 1:29 pm
Congratulations!! Enjoy your new baby!
Comment by April — August 10, 2005 @ 11:44 pm
Dogs are love personified.
Comment by DuggleBogey — August 11, 2005 @ 9:20 am