As symbolized in the traditional Irish Claddagh ring, the hands represent friendship, the heart represents love, and the Crown represents loyalty. Those humans fortunate to share their life with a dog know that all dogs must be Irish because they excel at giving unconditional love, lifelong friendship, and staying loyal to their owners.
In one of my early posts Mini-Pin Rescue, in memory of Mickie, one comment was a request to write more about how to adopt a shelter or rescue dog. Before I can honor that request, I want to tell you about my experiences with pets and how they entered my life. My pets were always there for me when people who should have been were not.
Chirper The Canary
Chirper was a yellow canary. This is a picture of me and Chirper who is in the birdcage. The back of the photo has the words, “Marilyn Kay loves to hear the bird’s song.” My guess is I’m about three years old.
Tabby My First Loyal Friend
In many ways, Tabby was my first friend and confidant. I believe I was about seven years old. He or she was a stray, unowned domestic cat living outdoors and often in the empty lot. I wrote about the empty lot in Midwestern Backstory. Since it was my favorite place outside, Tabby and I would hang out together. I loved the purring and rubs from my best friend. Tabby was also a good listener. I told my mom about my cat comforter, and she surprisingly agreed to buy some cat food and let me leave food and water out for Tabby. I agreed to clean the bowls daily and any cat messes.
Each day I hoped to have a visit with my friend. One day when I left the house, I found that Tabby had crawled to the empty lot and died there overnight. Of course, I went crying into the house to tell my mom. She immediately followed behind me, and I remember her saying that someone must have poisoned Tabby.
Dipper The French Chihuahua
Dipper was a reward from my parents for having my tonsils and adenoids surgically removed when I was eight. Please read Paul’s Rules for more details about Chirper and Dipper.
Chris And Lucy In Need Of A Home
A family member approached Pete at different times to see if we might be interested in giving a home to an adult cat (Chris) first and then to Lucy (small for her age). We said yes to both. Pete was the only human Chris ever bonded with. One of her favorite things was when Pete would spin her around while lying on a towel. Lucy was quite the character.
Lucy Sunning Under The Lamp
Grizzly
Winter had its grip on the Midwest. One night I heard an eerie sound outside but thought the blizzard wind was doing its thing. The sound continued, and I held on to our apartment’s front door while figuring out where the sound was coming from. It was an urgent cry for help.
Underneath our Toyota Corolla, I saw a large, long-haired orange cat trying to find shelter from the wind, freezing temps, and deep snow. Since we already had two cats, I grabbed a bowl and put fresh food in it to try and tempt the cat to come and follow me. The cat slowly approached the bowl in my hand and saw the other two cats checking things out from the entryway. I guess he thought that might be the best offer he would get during a blizzard, and with Pete’s help, we got him inside.
He did not have a collar or tags. He had been surviving on his own for quite some time since his fur was matted and in large clumps. The following day and for weeks to come, we tried to locate a previous owner without success. Grizzly fit right in with the other two, and we kept him.
Toby Adoption From ABQ Eastside Animal Shelter
Toby was a sweet addition to our lives. He seemed healthy and happy when we adopted him but got very sick within a short time-maybe a week or two. Our vet told us that Toby had been infected with Parvo (Canine Parvovirus). CPV is an infectious DNA virus that commonly causes severe illness in unvaccinated puppies and young dogs. The vet exam discovered the damage from the virus was already so great that nothing could be done to save him. We didn’t want him to suffer any longer and made the agonizing decision to put him down.
Kazooey The Gerbil
A busy gerbil is a happy gerbil. He was quite entertaining in his condo.
Jake And Scout
When Hayes was very little, he showed signs of being afraid of dogs. I did not want him to grow up being fearful of pets, especially since having one always helped me and taught me how to be a kind human.
I spent many hours researching the different breeds with a calm temperament that would be great around children. The breed I thought was a match with our family was the Golden Retriever. I found a reputable breeder through the Golden Retriever Club of America/Rio Grande Valley Golden Retriever Club Inc. and purchased Jake as a pup when Hayes was three years old. After Jake went through all his puppy vaccinations (about six months old), I took him for obedience training. Since goldens love to please their humans, he did fantastic!
In the photo collage below, Scout, a Miniature Australian Shepherd, was in training to be Hayes’ assistance dog. Scout was also purchased through a reputable local breeder. Hayes picked him out.
Mickie The Miniature Pinscher Rescue Who Thought She Was A Doberman
The above experiences with different kinds of pets show they have been an essential part of my entire life. Mom’s canary needed an admirer, four stray cats needed a home, a State Fair goldfish that had nine lives like a cat, one shelter dog, one guinea pig, one gerbil, two dogs purchased from reputable breeders, and one rescue dog.
To be truthful, most of my best friends through the years were the pets mentioned above. If you have read my blog from the beginning, you realize that mostly I have seen the worst side of humans. And I suspect the dogs and cats who end up in shelters and rescue organizations have also experienced a tough life.
It has been a little over two years since my last pet Mickie passed away on March 26, 2021. The healing has taken place in missing that mighty min-pin, protector and companion. Recently the Albuquerque Eastside Animal Shelter held a special event which I checked out. So, I am in the process of finding a dog to add to the pack, which is me and Janet.
Now we must decide which way to go: purchase a dog with a specific breed in mind from a reputable breeder, adopt a shelter dog, adopt a rescue dog, or foster to adopt a dog. One of the challenges this time is finding a small to small-medium dog who enjoys being at home but can also travel and camp with us.
Do I think that dogs are the only pets that love their humans? No. Do I think that dogs are the best at showing their love and connection with their humans? Yes.
Every dog, just like humans, needs a job, structure and routine, a safe place to live, nutritious food and clean water to drink, fun times, topped off with humans who care to make all those things happen. In return, humans get the Irish promise of the Claddagh ring-friendship, love, and loyalty. What a great return on your investment!
I hope you will stay with me during this journey as I will be blogging more details in the next post and others about making an informed (not emotional) decision to find the best match. It is a lifelong commitment, so being patient and thorough is best for the dog you are considering and your family. I am excited to see who the new member is going to be.
What have your experiences been when deciding on a dog to add to your life? Please feel free to leave a comment below to share your thoughts.
To return to any of my previous posts, with the most recent at the top of the page and the earliest at the bottom, click on this link and scroll the blog page https://www.marilynkfuller.com/blog/
Tough Cookie Tip: Things to think about: Human beings are the only species that follow unstable leaders. The only love you keep is the love you give away. No one reads your body language and emotions better than your dog, and they just want to be with you.
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I’ve had dogs and cats my entire life, with the exception of the 10 years prior to bringing our Griswald home. When my kids were growing up, there were times we had multiples of both, plus birds and fidgeting. We adopted Griswald from AWD after seeing his story in the newspaper. We didn’t know if he’d ever be able to walk without his cart. We didn’t know how long he would live with his injuries. But we decided whether he had a few days or many years to live, we were gonna make up for the horrible abuse he had suffered. I’m sure he is the world’s most spoiled dog. After many months of acupuncture treatments, supplements and anti- inflammatory medication, you wouldn’t recognize him as the same dog we brought home. When we brought him home he could take a few steps but routinely would end up dragging his hind legs behind him. Today, with the exception of tiring easily, and the cute little hitch in his get-along (crooked limp), he runs and plays with the best of them. He is where he belongs and we are lucky to have him. I can’t wait to hear about who you decide to take home!