When my husband and I first got together, the deal was “No pets.” That’s gone splendidly as we now have two dogs, a cat, and a couple dozen chickens. What we didn’t count on was a third dog. We’ve probably lost our minds.
Here’s how this happened. My friend called me up one evening. She had found two puppies wandering in her yard. Animal control couldn’t pick them up until the next day and she has a dog that does not do well with new animals. She asked if I could keep the puppies overnight and take them to the shelter in the morning. Of course, being the sucker that I am, I said yeah, sure, whatever.
The next morning, I drove these two puppies to the shelter. All was well, until they told me they were too full. They had to remove an aggressive dog to make room for these two and that broke my heart. Over the course of the seven-day holding period, I had to go check on these puppies every day because I was worried about them. They were scared in the shelter. The female got adopted so that left just the boy. After many discussions, we decided we would foster him until he could get adopted just to get him out of the shelter.
We fostered this puppy for a month and, of course, fell in love with him. When we received the call that he was to go to another foster home in another state, we were upset. More discussion ensued. We weighed the pros and cons of a third dog. We talked about what would be best for him. We didn’t want him to be scared going to another home, in another state and waiting to get adopted there. He was already used to us and our two dogs.
Scout ended up joining our family. He is turning into a happy, well-adjusted dog. We’re currently working on basic obedience, so if anyone has any tips or tricks for recalling, let us know! Scout smiles constantly, barks when he wants something, and wants to play all the time. So far, he hasn’t chewed up anything major, but potty-training could use a little work.
If you’re looking to foster or adopt a pet, please consider your local animal shelter or humane society. There are so many wonderful animals out there that just need some love, time, and attention.
TOP PHOTO: Scout having a nap on the bed. (Photo: Alissa Weece)
