Since this month is National Lost Pet Prevention Month, I figured I’d share how we adopted our dog, Casey. My husband, Alex, and I knew we wanted to get a dog as soon as we moved in together. We both grew up with dogs all our lives and knew how much love they add to a home. Even though we wanted a dog right away, we took the advice of our parents and decided to wait until after we were married which was about six months after we moved in together. We got married on a sticky hot Saturday in May, and scheduled an appointment to adopt a shelter puppy the following Thursday. Since we had just bought and renovated a house and paid for a beautiful wedding, we decided not to go on a honeymoon. This gave us some time to bond with a new family member on our time off after the wedding. |
Home For Good Dogs Rescue and was 12 weeks old. She looked like she was part black lab and we thought she would be the perfect companion dog for us. Alex had always wanted a black lab, but we didn’t want to pay for a purebred dog when there are so many dogs in shelters that need homes. Casey was one of a 14 puppy litter at The shelter was about an hour from our house, so we got up early Thursday morning to go meet the transport taking Casey and a bunch of her siblings up from Georgia. The day we picked her up was pretty hectic for the shelter. The transport was late, the puppies had chewed their name-tags off on the way up, and the shelter was short-staffed. We ended up adopting the first clean and fed puppy from the group even thought they were unsure if she was actually the one we had picked out online. On our way out, the people at the shelter wouldn’t let us walk Casey behind their office because people walk their dogs there all the time. Puppies don’t get all of their shots until they’re a little older and they were concerned she might catch something from unvaccinated dogs. |
Since she was just fed, we stopped at a little local park on the way home to try to get her to relieve herself, but she refused. Alex walked her back and forth between the trees but she just kept biting the leash and dragging her feet. We got back into the car and Alex drove while I sat in the back seat with Casey. She was wiggling like a worm and wouldn’t settle down but I figured she was just nervous being in the car. As soon as we got onto the congested highway, I realized why she wouldn’t relax. She pooped in the car! Since we were on the highway, there was nothing I could do but try to prevent it from getting all over everything. It was an unpleasant smelling trip home, but Casey did finally settle down and fall asleep. |
I grew up with a dog all my life, but it’s very different when it’s your own dog and you are responsible for taking care of her. The first summer we had Casey was very different than what we were used to. We stayed home a lot more because we didn’t want to leave the puppy alone for too long during the day. We made countless trips to the vet for shots and check-ins to see how she was doing and we house-trained her, which wasn’t as difficult as we thought it would be. It took a lot of patience, getting up really early most mornings, and puppy pads.
I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. Casey is such a loving dog who will follow you around the house all day just to keep you company. At night, she sleeps under the covers at my feet and usually doesn’t wake me up until the alarm goes off. She is a stomach on legs and will wait impatiently for any food to come her way when I’m making dinner or packing lunches. She is always happy to see us when we come home from work and always wants to come with us when we leave the house. Casey is quite possibly the best dog I have ever had.
I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. Casey is such a loving dog who will follow you around the house all day just to keep you company. At night, she sleeps under the covers at my feet and usually doesn’t wake me up until the alarm goes off. She is a stomach on legs and will wait impatiently for any food to come her way when I’m making dinner or packing lunches. She is always happy to see us when we come home from work and always wants to come with us when we leave the house. Casey is quite possibly the best dog I have ever had.