A feel good story about a dog's seeking out and finding his 'furever' home
Life sucked. I was outside in all kinds of weather. I had to fight other dogs for scraps of food. I was half my normal weight. Like the other inhabitants of my cramped back yard, I had never been held or petted or loved. We used to talk among ourselves. Most of them just accepted life’s limitations saying that was just the way things were. When I talked about running away, they said it was risky, and I could go from little food to no food. Or worse, I could end up in a shelter. I didn’t know what that was, but I knew it was horrible. My friends made it clear no-one would go with me – I would be completely alone. That gave me pause – I would miss my friends, but I could not settle for my meager life. I had dreams.
One night I screwed up my courage, dug a hole under the gate, squeezed through and made my escape. Tasting freedom was so exhilarating, I must have done zoomies for a good half hour. Then I got down to business. I wandered the streets looking for food or companionship. I saw other dogs and some of them were friendly, but their humans pulled them away from me.
I spent a lot of time watching the other dogs with their humans. All of them looked well fed and well groomed. I became very aware of my dirty overgrown hair and wondered if anyone would see beyond it to the handsome mutt I am. I also found out some people stick up their noses at mutts, thinking we are inferior to pure bred or designer dogs. My self-confidence was at all-time low. But I soldiered on observing the other dogs walking with their humans.
No two pairs interacted alike. Some humans were bored, short tempered or standoffish. Others spoke lovingly to their dogs and showered them with treats and affection. I decided I would adopt a human who was generous with treats and pets. But how to find such a human? I tried walking up to people on the street and wagging my tail. A few people stopped to pet me, but most just walked by. Finally, a man picked me up and put me in his car. Was he my new human, I wondered, as I evaluated him. He seemed friendly enough and let me snuggle next to him in the car.
I was curious when we pulled up to a large building and he brought me inside. “Sorry, fella, I wish I could take you home, but I already have a dog. At least, you will be safe here until you pick a new forever home.”
I was so scared, I was trembling. But the shelter wasn’t as horrible as I had feared. It wasn’t great, but it was better than my previous life. I was warm and well fed. While I spent most of my time confined to a small crate, I understood it was just a temporary refuge and became determined to make my next move last forever.
A few times they brought me to meet prospective adoptees. But I was being very picky, holding out for the right one. I would growl and snarl at my rejects so they would leave without me.
Truthfully, I didn’t hold out much hope when I first saw my latest candidate. She was older than I had hoped. But I decided to give her a chance, so I bounded up to her, wagged my tail and placed my front paws on her legs. Oh, my God, she immediately stroked my face and started petting my back. So far, so good, so I rolled over on my back to see if she passed the belly rub test. With flying colors! When I licked her face to let her know I would go home with her, she picked me up, cuddled me close and didn’t let go until we were in our car heading home. All the way home, she talked to me about food, treats, toys, friends, walks, and other things. I didn’t know what some of those things were, but they sure sounded good.
I made a good choice. My food bowl is always full, and I get plenty of love. I have been to the vet and the groomer. We have developed a daily pattern that includes walks, play time, and snuggle time. On special days, we go grocery shopping together and I bring joy to the other shoppers. Almost all of them smile and many of them pet me. I got nervous the first time someone asked what kind of dog I am, but Mom proudly said I am 100% good boy!
Since I have known love, had my hair cut and put on weight, I have become so confident I professed my love to the beautiful Ashley. Much to my surprise, she loves me too. Now we are quite the couple. We end each day by walking together with our two humans. When I say goodnight to her, I go to MY home where I am pampered beyond my wildest dreams.
There have been a few bumps in the road. A few times other dogs have tried to steal mom’s affections. She has a soft heart and began to pet the first dog that approached us. I was not about to share her, so I growled and threatened that interloper until it ran away. Mom got the message and now she ignores every other dog – except for Ashley. I will gladly share Mom with Ashley.
By nature, Mom is forgetful. One morning she forgot to fill my food bowl before she poured her coffee. I’m willing to work with her imperfections so I calmly brought my food bowl to her. She laughed, tousled my hair, said I was smart, and immediately filled it.
Unfortunately, not everything goes my way. Mom sprayed the kitchen chairs with evil tasting junk to keep me from chewing them. She tried to compensate by filling my Kong with yummy peanut butter, but I still don’t like not being allowed to bite anything I want. Occasionally, she leaves me alone in the house. She says dogs aren’t allowed everywhere. I’m not happy, but I know she will return as soon as she can, greet me with unbridled joy and let me know she missed me as much as I missed her.
Yep, life may not be perfect, but it is definitely good, maybe even great. I am so happy I pursued my dreams when I was a pup. And I am so happy Mom and I took a chance on each other. Occasionally I see a dog in a bad situation and share my story urging them to find the courage to take a chance and change their life. Every dog's life should be happy.
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Deputy Dave Jenkins sets out to find the murderer of the local high school principal, aided by a voice from the grave that is sometimes helpful and sometimes misleading.
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