When one loses a beloved pet, it leaves such an emptiness in
our lives and our families. Discussion is sure to follow about if / when to
find another companion, if ever. Each person must choose what is right for them
and their circumstance.
Not long after F.R.O.G.’s passing, I saw someone in a
parking lot trying to sell cute little white puffballs of Poodle puppies. I
know Poodles can be great dogs for an RV lifestyle; they don’t shed, they are
small, but these just didn’t feel right. Not to mention having a fairly steep
price tag for having no papers.
The following week I found myself wandering to the webpage
for our local animal shelter. I’ve never adopted a dog from one, but saw a few faces
that were intriguing. One day I went to visit, and although it was almost
overwhelming to be greeted by so many dogs eager to find homes, I was able to
sort through them. Some would bark the moment I turned to walk away, not a good
trait when one lives in an RV and campground. One cute candidate hated cats
according to his information sheet … that wouldn’t work. Another that looked
good on the website showed a lot of fear aggression when meeting him in person.
Finally the volunteer took me to a row of dogs still in
quarantine. This shelter connects with an overcrowded rescue in Los Angeles to
bring in small dogs that are about to be put down in California. This gives
them a chance here in Colorado where they have requests for smaller animals.
After meeting several of the “inmates” I chose one to spend a few moments with
in a more relaxed setting.
“Peanut” was a dapper black and tan fellow, smaller than I
had been looking for, but friendly and interested in me. His paperwork said he was a Chihuahua/Miniature Pinscher mix. Our first meeting went well, so I filled out
the prospective adopter paperwork, and went home. The dog wouldn’t be released
from quarantine for several days, giving me time to talk to my husband, and some
space to decide if this is really what I wanted to do.
At the end of the week my hubby, his dachshund “D’Artagnan”
and I made our way back to the shelter for another meeting with Peanut. I had
to have the approval from Ty, and the dogs had to get along. We all did fine,
other than Peanut thinking about marking my purse as his! So Peanut came home with us for a two night
trial. That went well and I returned to sign the adoption papers so Peanut
could have his forever home with us.
It has now been a couple weeks, and we are amazed how well this
little guy fits into our family. He loves people, he goes to work with me
occasionally and is happy to greet our campers in the office. He loves my
grandkids, tolerates our cats, and bonded immediately to our other dogs.
It is
my pleasure to introduce to you … “Peanut”.
