We are looking to add another dog to our menagerie. When I was a kid, dad took me to the local pound, I picked out a pooch, he payed the fee and we went home.
Not so simple these days.
Here is the essay I wrote for one local adoption agency:
We have been married since 1996.
Michael brought a dog, Bessie, and a cat, Nuit, to our relationship.
We got a cocker spaniel as a wedding gift from a lovely couple in our
church. Our daughter got her own cat, Olivia. All of our pets have
lived long lives, 15+.
When Bessie suffered a debilitating
stroke and had to be put to sleep, it became apparent that Franny,
the cocker, suffered hardest without her. She became incontinent and
destructive to the furniture, unusual for her. One day our daughter
brought home Eloise and Frannie's anxiety driven behaviors vanished.
We had to put Frannie to sleep last
fall when her arthritis began to have a serious impact on her life.
Our pets have always been treated as
part of the family-receiving regular dr. visits, vaccinations,
grooming, etc. We closely supervise them, their activity level and
diets. We have a saying, "Anyday that the dogs are tired out,
was a good day."
All our pets are indoor animals; the
cats never go out and we have a large fenced in yard.
Pets, especially dogs, are examples of
God's unconditiional love and we strive to treat them as His
creations and gifts to us. Their presence in our lives has been a
great blessing, providing comfort and companionship in the good and
bad times. They teach us how to make room in our lives for things
other than ourselves and the importance of providing care and
nurturing other living things (and the planet).
