Woof ~ A Love Story (A to Z Blogging Challenge)

It was the 5th Annual Dog Adoption Day yesterday at Columbia Park. I grabbed my camera and drove over to see if I could find some subjects to shoot. I was not disappointed.

 

This first photo is an image I won't soon forget. A woman was holding this little sweetheart and her hubby was asking lots of questions about this full-grown mutt. I could tell they were highly interested in her. But when the Mr. turned around and took this little girl's face in his hands, as you can see here, I knew there was no way this dog was going back to the shelter last night. I didn't stick around to confirm that fact.  I just know.

 

The eyes have it. The eyes are why I have three active, hairy, bitchy, sweet, funny, exhausting dogs. And, one lazy cat.

 

I heard on the news late last night that at least half of the dogs brought to the event were adopted. How amazing is that? Now, some might think it's a horrible thing to have people just show up and adopt dogs without the shelters giving them too much thought. Does it really matter?  If you go to the humane society, you are required to fill out an application and if there is more than one person interested in a certain animal, the staff will choose.  Ask me how I know.

 

Missy with no coat.

My "Missy" was sittin' over at the HS when I first met her in 2009. I would not have given her a second look as she was scrawny with no coat whatsoever.  She had just dropped a litter of pups and her body was suffering the consequences. She was not a pretty dog. What I did notice was that among all the barking dogs in the kennels, she was not barking and was scooched up as close as caninely possible to the front of the kennel. She caught my eye and my search was over.

 



Look at her coat!

I took her out of the kennel for a quick walk around the area to see if she was leashed trained. She stayed right with me. Sold. I filled out the application and when I heard there were other applications for her, at the insistence of my dog-lovin' friend Becky, I went back THREE times to walk her and make sure they knew my name. She had to be spayed before they could release her but I felt positive I would be chosen ... and it was so.

 

Her coat came in the next winter.  Just look at the difference in her tail. She does not resemble the dog I adopted. If she had never grown a coat, I wouldn't love her any less. But I have to tell you that when we walk her, there is never a time we don't hear at least once, "what a beautiful dog!"

 

Thinking of getting a dog?  Why not save a dog from one more day in a shelter. My experience has been that rescued dogs will love you forever. Sometimes there are challenges but that's the fun in it all. Working through the behavior that re-homed dogs can develop. It takes time and patience but it's so worth it.

 

love, susan