Recycling is the smart, and it’s no different when it comes to animals. I’d love to be a multipet home, but the truth is a single pet works best for me. I simply can no longer imagine not sharing my home with a shelter pet. I made my first adoption of Tundraa (aka Grizzley from the Orphan’s Corner in the Gazette back in 1995) from the first form of the CCHS known as the Keweenaw animal alliance. He’s the black shepard mix in the photos.
He had a rough start 4 homes in the first 10-12 weeks of life, some situations abusive. I saw him in the paper and went in to begin the adoption process, it was a mutual love at first sight. He was stuck to me like glue for just 58 days shy of 15 years. 🙂 He went everywhere with me, and basically was in doggy daycare for the first 10 years of his life when I was at work or school. Tundraa loved to travel and saw 23 states with me. Oh how he loved a good road trip. Life was certainly improved for us both. My only regret is the time we must say good-bye.
It was exactly a month after I lost Tundraa and I opted to search the CCHS site and told myself, “If it’s meant to be there will be a dog there for me.” The first picture I saw was Moochie. His story spoke to my heart. He came from a home where he was very much loved and spent his first 7 years, but due to poor health of his family, they had to make the very difficult yet courageous choice to give him up.
I made the call to see if he was still available, and as fate would have it, he was and came to find his new forever home with me. I knew I needed to have a dog that reminded me nothing of Tundraa. I needed to keep him in my heart in happiness, not tears. Moochie certainly accept my loss, and move on to enjoy the new.
The last year of Tundraa’s life he only dreamed of chasing a cat out of his yard or a rabbit, his ol’ legs kept him walking, but his running days were done. So we didn’t do the walking of his early years… my waistline certainly showed it. Along comes The Mooch…far to little to leave outside unattended without a fenced in area, so we began to walk…little bits at first and going farther and farther over time. At first Moochie exceeded my abilities, now we respect each other’s strengths and weaknesses 🙂 In the two years that Moochie has gotten me off my back side, I lost over 100 lbs.
In both instances, I can’t help but feel that I was the one rescued. My heart is bigger and more full of love with both the adoptions, and when the time comes, as the title indicates, the story will continue, for there will always be room in my home and my heart for the loyalty of a rescue pet.