For those of you who don't know me, I am obsessed with dogs. I love everything about dogs. I am honestly not sure what anyone in this world has ever done to deserve dogs. I am the person who uses social media merely to scroll through Facebook to find videos of dogs doing weird things or look through the Snapchat stories of my friends to see their dogs. I am the person that cries while I look at pictures of puppies. Needless to say, I am a bit dog-obsessed.
When I was a year old my parents rescued a dog that was found wandering on a basketball court. He was quite possibly the best dog who ever existed. He had an amazing disposition, and he was my best friend for 17 years. From the moment that we had to put him to sleep, I have had a little hole in my heart that was waiting for the right dog to come along.
Almost four years later, I finally found another puppy to fill the dog-shaped hole in my heart. My parents and I drove down to North Carolina to rescue a shy little schnoodle, who had been used as a barn dog by his previous owners. The moment that I put him into my arms, my heart melted. He is quite possibly the most loving animal whom I have ever met. He and I immediately connected, and we took him home that day.
In the two and half short weeks that we have had him, he has taught me so much. Here are some of the lessons that my rescue baby has taught me:
I am now eating for two.
I learned this not 20 minutes after we were taking him home from the shelter. Since it was a 3+ hour drive back home, we decided to stop at Chick-fil-A on the way home. The moment that I unwrapped my chicken sandwich and turned my head to say something to my mother, Gregory took a gargantuan bite from my sandwich. Since then, he has decided that every meal that I eat, he is entitled to a bite or two. It took him two days to start eating dog food.
A dog is never too old to go through his puppy phase.
Gregory is two and a half years old, but you would not notice because he runs around and plays just like a puppy. He is exuberant every time that I walk through the front, and he greets me with puppy-like nibbles and kisses. I think he might be a puppy eternally, which I don't mind.
There are not many things in life that a puppy cuddle cannot fix.
After a bad day, knowing that I can cuddle with my sweet dog is enough to make the bad go away. A dog knows when you are upset, and he makes it his job to ease your anxieties. We needed each other. He needed love and a home, and I needed a dog. We help fix each other's problems.
I can bond with another dog the same way I did before.
Like I said, I had the same sweet dog for 17 years. Soon after he passed, I got another dog but he connected more with my mother. This left me thinking that I may not be able to bond with another dog in the same way that I did with my Sam; however, I learned from Gregory that you just need the right match.
A dog is capable of stealing my heart.
I am a happy person with an amazing family and loving fiancé, who had no clue that someone so small could make my heart grow any bigger. But this sweet, sweet dog has absolutely stolen my heart. He makes me happy from morning to bedtime. He brightens my days as he follows me around the house and is my constant companion.
The cliché "Who rescued whom?" is absolutely true.
First impressions are not everything.
We went so far to get him because we fell in love with him on the Humane Society's page in NC, and we found out that all of the interested families had changed their minds because he was not bouncy and playful immediately. We knew he needed a home, and that we could bring him out of his shell. The moment they put him into my arms, he melted like butter. He and I were both instantly attached to the other. About half way down the road, on the way home, he was bouncy and so excited to be going home with someone. He is probably the most bouncy and playful dog whom I have ever had.
Rescue a dog. Give them a chance.
I would not change anything about my rescue pup. I love him exactly as he is, and he loves me exactly as I am. Rescue dogs or cats can change your life!
If you are thinking about adopting an animal or donating to help out homeless animals, please visit the links below.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
The Humane Society of the United States
