When Kermie and I first got married, we didn't have any pets mainly because we were not home often and lived in a teeny tiny apartment on a roof top. I remember coming home one night, opening the door, and finding Kermie standing there with a kitten in his hands. He was working at a veterinarian clinic at the time and a lady had brought the kitten in saying she couldn't keep her anymore. In an attempt to save the kitten, she became ours. I remember being excited because she was so cute, but a little nervous because cats were foreign to me being that I had never had one and because I'm highly allergic to them. I still remember that first night like it was yesterday! ChaCha (which became her name), pounced on my feet any time I moved and never left our bed. She was perfect and I imagined myself getting pretty good at this cat owner thing.
Fast forward ten years. ChaCha is still part of our family and we enjoy her company as always. I think I've become immune to her dander for the most part, but still can't love on her like I want to. Any time she scratches me, my skin puffs up and I itch for days. Any time I pet her and forget to wash my hands, my eyes swell and I sneeze for hours. Boo on allergies and not being able to give her the affection my husband is able to give her. :(
For several months, my daughter has been asking for a dog. We immediately say no and explain to her that we aren't set up for a dog. We live right downtown, have a fence that a dog can escape through, live in a fairly small house, and are never home to let the dog out. On top of that, we have a cat that isn't the most social creature on the planet and is used to being the center of attention. Allowing a dog in the house would rock her world!
About three weeks ago, we were down at our playground here in Sadieville and a stray dog started following us around. When it was time to go, he followed my van back to the house. He would leave for a while, but then always came back. With it being hot, we sat some water out on the porch. The next day, he was still there. That night, he was still there. We went back down to the playground and this time he jumped right in the van to come home with us. Since it didn't look like he was leaving any time soon, I sat cat food out on the porch for him in case he was beginning to starve. Needless to say, he loved the cat food and all of the attention he was getting. He seemed to roam during the night, but was always right there with us during the daylight hours. One morning we woke up to tons of shoes laying in our yard. Apparently, he had went around town grabbing shoes from other houses and brought them all back home with him. Several more days went by and he was still there. I had talked to the local cop and post office about the dog. They said they had seen him around and noticed how friendly he was, but had no idea where he had come from. The strange thing is that he looked very well taken care of and had a brand new collar around his neck. After him being with us for several days now, we were all falling in love with this beautiful dog. Since we didn't know his name and had been saying, "Here buddy," to get his attention, Buddy became his name.
My husband and I talked about what our options were in regards to keeping the dog or getting rid of him somehow. I called the Humane Society and the animal shelter and no missing dog reports had been given. The Humane Society also said that since he wasn't neutered, he would not have a microchip for us to scan. Finding his owners was beginning to seem farfetched. I started getting a little anxious about the idea of keeping him because we honestly just aren't equipped for a dog. However, he wasn't leaving and I didn't want him to leave. One day several kids came up to the house and asked if he was our dog. My kiddos immediately responded, "Yes!" It's hard to describe the feeling I felt when I heard them say that. It was a since of pride and joy and I almost wanted to tell those kids to scram because they seemed like competition. lol :)
That very same day, we let Buddy into our house. We bathed him and watched his and ChaCha's interactions with one another. She did way better than we thought she would. And, actually, a week later, she can sit within feet of him! I think he's teaching her a few social skills. As for us, we still aren't "ready" to have a dog, but this dog chose us so we are making due. I've come home to quite a few messes including canola oil all over my living room rug, toilet paper strung throughout the house, trashcans knocked over and empty, multiple armless and legless Barbies, wooden blocks destroyed, shoe strings demolished, baking soda spilled all over the place, his bed torn apart, and even a sentimental scrapbook torn into shreds (this list doesn't stop here). These kinds of things drive me crazy, but as I'm sitting here watching him sleep I can't help but feel proud that he's our Buddy.
Dogs are great therapy!! :)
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