Mr. B
For those who I'm pals with on Facebook you already know about Mr. B. For those who don't let me tell you a story....
Two weeks ago my husband and I decided we wanted to get another dog. So we did our research and found a pup online at the Humane Society that we wanted to go see. We packed up the SUV and headed out when Chris got home from work. Excited and giddy we postulated and joked about how this dog would fit in our new house and large yard.
Reality was very different from fact. The dog was 9 weeks old and at first was a great little puppy. Then she started becoming vicious with me and my kids. She bit me several times and not only drew blood but has left scars. When our three year old became scared of her we decided immediately she was not the puppy for us and we put her back in her kennel.
My husband and I began looking at the other dogs in the shelter and I came across a beautiful St Bernard named Betsy (who oddly enough, could have been a double for Cujo) I adored Betsy until my husband came around the corner and she started growling and barking at him. This shocked me as she is the first animal I have ever met who didn't fall wildly in love with my hubby.
Chris looked at me and said "There's another St. Bernard over here." and so we headed that way. As we walked we passed many dogs who were excited, hoping to be adopting, and some who were sad at being in the kennel. There were a couple who were heartbroken and one or two who had given up.
Mr. B was one of the ones who had given up. You didn't have to be a behaviorist to see he had decided that life held no more joy for him. He looked so broken and sad. Sitting in front of his concrete and steel mesh cage I cried. I looked him in the eyes and told him "Don't give up. Things will get better, just don't give up." Then my hubby, boys, and I went home.
We'd never planned on getting a four year old St. Bernard and we actually hadn't even considered Mr. B while we were at the Humane Society. On the way home however Chris and I had started talking and I said "Even though we're not sure if he's our dog can we go back and visit Mr. B tomorrow?" Chris said we could.
An entirely different dog awaited us the next day. He was happy and his tail was wagging. When they put us in a 10ft x 12ft room to get acquainted we could see he was aware of his size and was careful not to bump into the two boys. So we decided to come back the next night.
For a week we went to the shelter and visited with Mr. B. He was 'Application Only' and we had put an app in for him but were unsure of how many others had done the same. So I figured by going up there to visit and love on him every day they'd see how much we loved this dog and the dog would also see he was loved and he'd get to come home with us.
There was at least one other application in for Mr. B but on the fifth day of us going to see him specifically the manager told us to bring our other dog up for a meet and greet in two days. If that went well, she added that Mr. B would be ours!
It was one of the best meetings they'd ever witnessed and the following day we got to bring our small moose home to live. We've had him a week now and couldn't be happier, neither could he. I'd like to think my telling him not to give up had something to do with it (as he is very much my shadow and protector) but I think it was probably just one of those things. Either way he's my dog now and I love him more than these words can say.
Two weeks ago my husband and I decided we wanted to get another dog. So we did our research and found a pup online at the Humane Society that we wanted to go see. We packed up the SUV and headed out when Chris got home from work. Excited and giddy we postulated and joked about how this dog would fit in our new house and large yard.
Reality was very different from fact. The dog was 9 weeks old and at first was a great little puppy. Then she started becoming vicious with me and my kids. She bit me several times and not only drew blood but has left scars. When our three year old became scared of her we decided immediately she was not the puppy for us and we put her back in her kennel.
My husband and I began looking at the other dogs in the shelter and I came across a beautiful St Bernard named Betsy (who oddly enough, could have been a double for Cujo) I adored Betsy until my husband came around the corner and she started growling and barking at him. This shocked me as she is the first animal I have ever met who didn't fall wildly in love with my hubby.
Chris looked at me and said "There's another St. Bernard over here." and so we headed that way. As we walked we passed many dogs who were excited, hoping to be adopting, and some who were sad at being in the kennel. There were a couple who were heartbroken and one or two who had given up.
Mr. B was one of the ones who had given up. You didn't have to be a behaviorist to see he had decided that life held no more joy for him. He looked so broken and sad. Sitting in front of his concrete and steel mesh cage I cried. I looked him in the eyes and told him "Don't give up. Things will get better, just don't give up." Then my hubby, boys, and I went home.
We'd never planned on getting a four year old St. Bernard and we actually hadn't even considered Mr. B while we were at the Humane Society. On the way home however Chris and I had started talking and I said "Even though we're not sure if he's our dog can we go back and visit Mr. B tomorrow?" Chris said we could.
An entirely different dog awaited us the next day. He was happy and his tail was wagging. When they put us in a 10ft x 12ft room to get acquainted we could see he was aware of his size and was careful not to bump into the two boys. So we decided to come back the next night.
For a week we went to the shelter and visited with Mr. B. He was 'Application Only' and we had put an app in for him but were unsure of how many others had done the same. So I figured by going up there to visit and love on him every day they'd see how much we loved this dog and the dog would also see he was loved and he'd get to come home with us.
There was at least one other application in for Mr. B but on the fifth day of us going to see him specifically the manager told us to bring our other dog up for a meet and greet in two days. If that went well, she added that Mr. B would be ours!
It was one of the best meetings they'd ever witnessed and the following day we got to bring our small moose home to live. We've had him a week now and couldn't be happier, neither could he. I'd like to think my telling him not to give up had something to do with it (as he is very much my shadow and protector) but I think it was probably just one of those things. Either way he's my dog now and I love him more than these words can say.
