ALRIGHT- so you guys really came through hard for me when we lost our sweet Bitzy. That was a day I dreaded for YEARS & it was such a monumental loss. She was not just my dog, she was my entire world & losing her was to date the hardest thing I have ever dealt with. I had (& still have) a Bitzy shaped hole in my heart.
& I did NOT want another dog… ever again.
I got Bitzy after losing my puppy Chihuahua (Coco Chanel) in a pretty tragic way & Bitzy really did help me recover from that loss… but I had only had that sweet puppy for 6 months & although I loved her, 13 years with a dog is a whole other story. Everyone suggested I get a puppy to help distract me from my pain of losing Bitzy, but I was not down. Zack & I even went to look at a puppy but I just could not imagine ever loving a dog as much as Bitzy, & if I did- I never wanted to feel that loss again. Looking at that puppy, although a VERY cute Frenchie, made me not want a dog even more.
& then the most unexpected thing happened EVER… let me see if I can make this VERY long story short.
REWIND TO FEBRUARY 15TH. Zack called in sick for work so we decided to go on a little lunch date. On our way home I was checking emails on my phone while Zack was driving. Out of nowhere, he SLAMS on the brakes & screams “SHIT”. I look up to see what the hell happened & there is a raggedy dog is in the middle of the busy road. I jumped out of the car & Zack throws at me a magical box of treats through the window. I shook the box & the dog came running right to me, dodging honking cars (people are SUCH dicks) & literally jumped into my arms. He was visibly SO SCARED.
We had Ruby, our frenchie, in the car, & she typically gets overly excited with dogs. I considered taking an Uber but Zack just said we get in the car & get to the vet ASAP. It had been raining for DAYS, he was a hot mess, & we didn’t know if he was okay. The entire drive to the vet, Ruby just looked at him & did NOTHING. It was the first time in my life I saw visible empathy in another dog.
When we got to the vet, he was taken back immediately & told us the Humane Society would come to get him & hopefully locate an owner. He wasn’t microchipped & they asked if we wanted to be put down as the finders hold. In the 10 minute drive to the vet, this dog stared at me with the most insane look of love you have ever seen & it was then we both fell in love with this guy. SO YES- we wanted the finders hold.
THAT SAID- our main goal was that if someone is missing this little guy, they find him. He needed to go to Humane so that he could potentially find his way home… but he was in bad shape & when he got to Humane, they had said if anyone comes to claim him they will need to meet with an animal officer first. The hold would last 4 days & all we could do was wait. I called daily.
I was told over & over again that he wasn’t ready & after the stray hold was up he would become property of the Humane Society. Then he would be on a LONG waiting list for a medical check/to get fixed. My assumption was it would be two weeks or more & I was starting to really annoy them with all my calls, so over the weekend, I gave it a break.
Come Monday, I woke up & decided to call to check on him. I was put on hold, which was weird cause they’ve never done that before, & they came back to say he was ready. I WAS SHOCKED & not prepared. I called Zack, who was at jury duty (or so I thought) & we decided we go at 4 when Zack was done with “jury duty”.
Zack wasn’t actually at jury duty & before we went to pick him up, HE PROPOSED!! You can read the proposal story here to tie it all together… but right after he proposed we went straight to the Humane Society to pick up our sweet 5 year old-ish Mini Schnauzer, Howard Idaho (named after the cross streets we found him at!)
& although it has been the BIGGEST blessing ever, there was a lot of different challenges with adopting a dog that I didn’t expect & also, I didn’t want to adopt in the first place.
I feel HORRIBLE saying this, especially now that we have Howard, but adoption wasn’t something I ever thought I’d do. Zack had adopted a dog when we first met & that dog, although SO sweet, almost killed Bitzy (literally, bit her in the throat 2cm from her main artery & she was in ICU with drains in her neck for weeks). Plus, I am just used to the idea of having a puppy that I chose.
THAT SAID, adoption really changed our lives for the better & I wanted to share with you guys what I wish I knew before getting a rescue because I am hoping that you are either reading this thinking about adopting & this post gives you the push/helps you prepare OR it gives you a new outlook on adoption!!
THE 6 THINGS I WISH I KNEW BEFORE ADOPTING A DOG
1. IF YOU FIND A LOST DOG, & you want to adopt it:
If you find a lost dog & you are interested in adopting it, 100000% turn it in to the Humane Society first. DO NOT take the dog home & just make it yours. There could be someone looking for their beloved pet. SECONDLY- don’t go to your vet. If you take the dog to your vet they n can give you a finders hold to sign but what I learned from this process, unless you take the dog DIRECTLY to Humane Society, you actually don’t get the finders hold. This was a NIGHTMARE for us & I had to jump through a lot of hoops to have the Humane Society issue me the Finders Hold. Without that hold they can & will put the dog on the adoption floor without informing you first.
2. Respect the process
I am not gonna lie, there were a few times I got frustrated with the process. I have SO much respect for what the Humane Society does, but the people on the phone can be very short with you. My frustration was that this dog had a warm bed to sleep in with us & they were not giving me answers. They noted on my file that I seemed “agitated” & at times, I was. I regret this. Not only because they have hard jobs & I was not being patient, but because it could have effected my chances of getting Howard. The process can be a little annoying, especially if you FIND the dog, but just respect it & know that they want the dog re-homed as much as you do.
3. It isn’t Neccesarily CHEAP (but it’s not expensive + you get free stuff!)
It isn’t expensive, especially in comparison to buying a dog from a breeder, but just so you know- it does cost money. I knew there would be an adoption fee & I was totally fine with that. It was about $150 to adopt & then they ask for a donation. For us- a steal of deal because they neutered Howard at the Humane Society & also you get a lot of stuff for free as well: your first vet appointment is free, you get a month of free pet insurance (sign up for this AS SOON as you get home!!), & you get discounts at PetSmart. The main cost that came for us was his first dental cleaning through our vet. His breath was deadly & we had to get that handled… after spending a REAL pretty penny.
4. Be Prepared for an “Adjustment Period” with a Rescue
Here is where things got tricky for us. When we brought Howard home & during that first week, I wasn’t connecting & was scared it wasn’t a good fit. I thought maybe I wasn’t ready after Bitzy, he wouldn’t eat, he just wanted to be in his crate all day, & he wouldn’t show affection. I cried & cried, but we did hire a trainer (another thing I HIGHLY recommend) & she insisted we wait & that he will come out of his shell. She was SO right!! Give the dog time to adjust, they will come out of their shell with time & it will be AMAZING to watch.
Also, if you have another dog, make sure to introduce them to your new rescue the right way!! You want them to meet on mutual ground, outside of the house, & when you bring the new dog IN your home, bring them in a crate & keep the rescue in the crate for a little while till your other dog seems to be feeling super comfortable.
5. Don’t Compare your New Dog to your Old Dog(s)
A rescue dog is very different from the dog you’ve raised as a puppy who has been spoiled since day one. I don’t know Howard’s life before us & I never will, but whatever it was, it was a very different life from our dogs. When I wasn’t connecting with Howard at first, I compared him to Bitzy a lot & then after a week or two, I compared him to Ruby. This got us NOWHERE, a rescue is a whole different breed. He needed help adjusting to living indoors (we are pretty confident he was a street dog) & had to relearn a lot of stuff. He is a smart boy & learned quickly, but he just has different needs & now that we know what those needs are, we can fully embrace who he is/meet his needs.
6. You Will Have Less Freedom, for a little
this is is with ALL dogs, but more so with a rescue. In a lot of cases, rescues have been abandoned, so when you bring your new pup home you really have to commit to spending a lot of time with them. Howard really needed to adjust to human interaction & he still does. He is VERY needy/clingy for human touch & although sweet, it was something we needed to help him with. I am in a lucky position where I can be home all day if I want, & for the first three weeks, I was. He didn’t do well with being left alone & although he is MUCH better now, we really never leave him for more than 2 hours. Two things I suggest: ROVER for dog sitters/dog walkers & a dog monitor (it was $30 on Amazon & gives us peace of mind when I am out of the house longer than expected).
7. THE GRATITUDE!!! OMG, THE GRATITUDE
If you are on the fence of whether or not you should adopt, can I just say, the gratitude you will receive from your dog will be the most wonderful life changing thing you ever experience. Ruby loves us to no end & Bitzy was glued to my side, but Howard’s love is very different. He not only needs us, but he appreciates us & it is visible in ALL of his actions. Everyone told me there was something that would click with this dog that would be different than any dog I have ever had, & everyone was right. It is the weirdest most wonderful thing that you’d never expect. It’s like we hung the moon with Howard. He needs to be touching me at almost all times, he sleeps with his paw on my HEART every night, & he shows a love that no other dog has shown us before. It is the number one most rewarding thing we’ve ever done & as I am TYPING this right this very moment he just lifted up his paw & put it on my heart.
SO- just for a quick update on where Howard is at now, after a month of being with us:
He is the the king of the castle, he is getting more & more confident by the day, he potty trained HIMSELF cause he is just so damn smart, he has gotten used to domestic life (no more running into the glass slider or being scared of his reflection in the mirror!), he eats SO good, he gives big REAL hugs aka HOWARD HUGS, he steals hearts wherever we go, he loves to look into peoples eyes, & he REALLY REALLY loves his sister! Bitzy & Ruby had a rocky relationship as two dominant bitches, but Howard & Ruby are two peas in a pod.
MORAL OF THE STORY:
1. everything happens for a reason… just imagine if that particular day, February 15th, Zack went to work or we didn’t go to lunch. We would never have our Howard! I truly believe in fate now.
2. ADOPT > SHOP really is the way & if you are considering a dog, please consider adoption. You might not get your designer dog, but I promise, you will get something way more priceless!! If you can’t adopt, I GET IT…. but keep reading for ways you can help!
HERE ARE A FEW RESCUES THAT I LOVE & SUPPORT:
+ Road Dogs Rescue: we have a french bulldog & through her Instagram, we found Road Dogs Rescue. They are a bulldog rescue & they do SUCH wonderful things for any & all bulldogs. Bulldogs can are often VERY inbred & with that can come some serious issues that can be too much for people to deal with. Road Dogs takes these dogs in, rehabilitates them, & then puts them up for adoption. If we had a bigger house I would be applying to adopt Ellery Max, a 5 legged frenchie who I have been following since the beginning of his journey with Road Dogs. She is so cute, sweet, & I love her extra little leg.
+ Animal Hope & Wellness: I am going to warn you, their Instagram is hard to look at, but you should look. I think everyone should be aware with what is happening to dogs in China/the dog meat trade/other dog slaughterhouses & thank god for Marc Cheng who has dedicated his LIFE to getting these dogs out of these DIRE situations. The work he does is something I could not imagine & I am so grateful there are people like Marc & everyone at Animal Hope & Wellness out there doing the absolute MOST to save dogs all over the world.
+ FITBULLS Rescue: my friend recently started Fitbulls Rescue & I am just so proud of him for doing this, shoutout to RANDY!!! Pitbulls have a bad reputation & are WAY TOO often trained to fight (TALKING TO YOU MICHAEL VICK!!) & because of this, they often end up abandoned. I truly believe all dogs deserve a to be loved & some of the sweetest dogs I have met are Pitbulls. Not everyone can adopt a rescue Pitbull because there is the chance they were taught to fight & I get that, but you DEFINITELY can help Randy at Fitbull Rescue give these dogs the chance they deserve.