Adopting A Shelter Pet

About a year ago, my husband and I started looking for a second dog. The time was right, and we knew our puppy Loki needed a pal. We needed a new pal, too.

I think, many years ago, when someone wanted a pet, you either checked for free puppies/kittens in the paper, or you went to the shelter, answered a few questions, paid a small fee, and brought home a dog or cat. It's not like that now! In fact, our search took many months and was much harder than I expected. We really wanted the right dog for our family, not necessarily a specific breed (although we had an idea of some breeds' traits that would be a better fit for us than others).

We found Fiona on Petfinder.com (a site I highly recommend for those looking to adopt a pet or learn more about rescued pets). She's a little mutt, part Italian greyhound, part something else, and after months of searching, something about her caught my eye. We learned all we could about her to determine if she would be a good fit for us, and us for her. The woman who rescued her answered all of our questions, asked us lots of questions, and offered great advice. The day we met her, Fiona bounded into the room and leaped right into my husband's arms. It made me laugh out loud - could it have been more perfect?

The months of researching, learning, and looking were well worth it. Fiona integrated quickly into the household (only a few minor spats with Loki, and the woman at the rescue helped us through - she was a great resource!) Now she and Loki are inseparable. They run together, chase each other, and wrestle, wrestle, wrestle. And when they finally wear each other out a bit, they often curl up together in the same doggie bed.