Now...remember...I'm from a family of animal lovers. I grew up with pets that ran the gamut from your run of the mill hound dogs, cats, rabbits, chickens and pigs all the way to the more unusual raccoon and opossum. My family takes pet ownership very seriously. A pet is a member of the family and a big responsibility. I didn't feel up to taking on that sort of responsibility for anything bigger than a dwarf hamster.
(Poopsie - RIP)
So, when Chad started talking dogs, I got more nervous than when he started talking rings.
"Dogs are a lot of work," I hedged.
"I know."
"You have to clean up their messes. We'll have to find a dog sitter whenever we leave town."
"No problem."
"I'm not sure if I'm up to this level yet."
"You'll be fine," he insisted. Then, "I want an English Bulldog."
"What?"
"An English Bulldog."
"Okay. Here's the deal. I'm absolutely against buying a dog from a breeder or pet store. There are so many shelter animals that need homes. If you can find a bulldog at the shelter, I'll sign off on becoming a pet mommy."
And Chad being Chad...well...these things always seem to work out for him. Three months before our wedding, he emailed me a picture of a dog that was more skin and bones than anything else. An American Bulldog, she stood taller and slimmer than her British counterpart. She had no name, was dog aggressive and had been abused. The shelter warned us that she was skittish and even though they estimated her age at a year, she'd already been used to breed puppies. Chad and I spent a couple hours with her and fell in love. We named her Margarita - Maggie for short - and brought her home. After a rough couple of weeks where she was so afraid of Chad that she wouldn't even go near him, we settled into life as a family of three.
She's the best dog that any family could have. She's sweet, gentle, mellow and wonderful with the kids. She spends most of her nights moving from our room to Elizabeth's to Joseph's and then back to ours, with a big sigh. I imagine that she's wondering why we didn't take her "rounds" into consideration when we expanded our family. So much work for one dog!
Joseph and Elizabeth both used her as a hand hold when learning to stand. They both lay their heads on her warm belly - Joseph while watching Scooby Doo and Elizabeth in her rare moments of stillness.
She may have been demoted from Princess Maggie to mere Maggie Dog, but she's done so with grace. And a lot of sad eyes at visitors.
October is Adopt a Shelter Dog Month.
3 comments:
Awesome blog, Mandy. With technology, there is no reason why you can't find exactly the dog you want in a shelter especially after puppy mill raids/shutdowns. Right now the shelters are running over with chihuahuas because of the rush to get a "Paris Hilton purse dog." How sad is that. Every person should really think about their life style and begin from there. These animals ask for nothing but love and upkeep. In return, they give total and unconditional love and loyalty. That's a pretty good deal for about a buck a day. It's always nice to have someone dancing with joy every time you walk in the front door. Yes, everyone please adopt a shelter dog!!!
I miss Maggie dog! And yes, she is an awesome dog.
I love your writing and your puppy dog picture. Maggie looks like the sweetest girl. Stopping by from SITS and signing up to read you regularly!
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