For all my friends who have been concerned about my recent pet status, I am proud to announce I have a new dog.
Yes, we were all devastated by the death of our dear little Willa. She was one of a kind. She will be sorely missed. But, as a few friends on facebook pointed out, healing the loss of a dog is often helped by another dog. I took them at their word and went on a search.
Actually, I had help. As with Willa’s adoption, I consulted my doggie guru, Jenna Sanders. Jenna and I share a love for rescues. It was Jenna who found Willa on the Lee County Humane Society website. She did an excellent job pairing us up with a gem the first time, I had no reason to doubt she could do it again.
While in my cloud of dog-grief, I searched Pet Finder at all hours of the day and night. I posted pictures of little dogs I liked on Facebook and Pinterest.
Jenna could relate and went to work. In a few days she sent me several pictures of puppies she thought I might be interested in. There were a couple that caught my eye but none so strongly as a little black and white mutt named “Mia.”
We contacted the shelter, which was an hour and a half away, and Mia was still available. So, on the first morning I could, I headed after my new pal.
Jenna went with me because I have to have a rational adult with me when I make heart decisions. Jenna was the obvious choice and anyway, she had her reputation to defend.
The meeting went well. It was apparent that Mia had bonded with her caretakers, which in this county were state inmates. One had taken an interest in Mia. He told me she was sweet and playful.
We took her into a “bonding room” and she chased a ball and snuggled beside me. In a couple of minutes she went to the door. She could hear the caretaker talking outside.
I took this as a good sign. She bonded with this person, maybe she could with me.
After watching Mia in the outside area I was convinced she was mine. While filling out paperwork, the officer told me she had been brought in by the family of her former owner, it appears Mia had suffered a great loss. Her former owner died. My former dog did too. We had loss in common.
Jenna told me when I was inside she watched Mia follow her caretaker around outside. She did her doggie business and got ready to go back into the kennel area.
He bent down and told her she wouldn’t be returning to her cage. I got a little choked up thinking about that.
She rode in my lap the entire trip home. She slept that night (and every night since) at the foot of my bed flipped over on her back snoring.
The best news is she sticks to me like glue when we go outside. I used a leash the first few days and after a while realized she never tugged at it and really just didn’t need it. She is not interested in the land beyond the yard, and for that I am truly grateful.
