In two years, we have owned three dogs. Roxy was a stray dog that we kept after searching for her owner. She was a great dog, but I thought she was lonely. Adam and I fought about it, as he said that we didn't have enough room or money for a second dog. In the end, I won, and we went to pick out a second dog.
We knew that we wanted to adopt a dog from a shelter as there are so many dogs in the shelter that need good homes. We took Roxy to a shelter and let her "pick one out". The first dog that we chose didn't work out: he was growling at her while she sniffed him. The second, Trixie, was a tree walker coonhound, with long ears and tall, skinny legs. I would have never picked her out, but she and Roxy got along right away. They played in an outside pen and on the way home, they cuddled in the backseat. I knew right away that they were going to be best friends.
In December 2010, tragedy struck and we lost Trixie, and Roxy had her leg amputated. Roxy was so depressed during her recovery and I could barely get out of bed. I cried nonstop. In March 2011, we spread Trixie's ashes and considered getting a new dog. We tread lightly on this because we knew no one could replace Trixie. We went to the shelter and tried out a few dogs, but none really worked out. All of the sudden, behind the counter, I saw a timid black dog, who I assumed was a puppy because of her small stature. I said, "What about that one?" They brought this dog, named Cherry, out to meet Roxy. All of the sudden, Cherry's tail started wagging. "I've never seen her act like that!" said the girl behind the counter. We took Cherry home that night.
The first couple of days, Cherry did not like us all that much. She was scared and wouldn't move from the couch. She sat, almost lifeless, as we brought her food and water to her. When we let her outside, she either tried to escape or hid under the deck, shivering. I cried and told Adam that we should return her. She wasn't even playing with Roxy. I missed Trixie so badly in those moments. This dog wasn't for me, I thought. Adam asked me to give it just one more day and see if Cherry warmed up.
The next day, Cherry, now named Cora, transformed. She was bright, tail wagging, playing with Roxy, and licking me! She was a completely different dog. Cora has turned into a wonderful, sweet dog that greets me at the door with kisses and hugs. She follows me around the house and cuddles right next to me at night. She even takes naps with me!
We've come a long way from adopting Trixie a year ago. I never would have picked out Trixie, or Cora. But those two dogs have changed my life. The Warrensburg shelter is full right now and several dogs will be euthanized if not adopted by Thursday, June 2nd. Please, if you're looking for a new dog, consider adopting from the shelter. It's a great deal- they come microchipped and everything- and you're saving two lives in the process- you adopt one and another dog gets that cage and gets to live. Please consider adopting instead of going to a breeder or a pet store.
We didn't necessarily have the time, energy, money or room for a second dog, but we opened our hearts and made it happen. It was the best decision of our lives.
Open your heart
No comments:
Post a Comment