Mystic has been here a week and although there have been a few tense moments, so far it seems to be going fairly well. She really is a sweet dog– Honestly, you couldn’t ask for a better personality from a newbie. She’s desperate to please everyone and she hasn’t caused any trouble.
She makes no sense as a dog. She’s squat, short-legged, Husky-tailed, Lab-colored and a head that’s twice as big as any I’ve seen. And yet I think she’s one of the sweetest faces, ever.
She was hoping to get this:
ow.
She’s been here a week and most days I wonder if she ever wasn’t:
For anyone following the blog– you may remember this post. About a week ago, we discovered that Paisley’s mom, Mystic had found her way back to a shelter after being adopted, returned and lost many times in the last almost 2 years. This last family had discovered too late that she is an energetic, intense dog and rather than returning her to the shelter (which they will ALL happily do, no questions asked), they listed her on Craigslist and gave her away. Which explains how they “don’t remember” who they gave her to.
Because of her connection to us and the fact her life has sucked this far, I took it upon myself to convince my Dad she needed to come live with us. He was resistant, as usual, but “Operation: Save Paisley’s Mom” was in full force. I am perfectly comfortable stooping to begging when it comes to saving lives. When it appeared Dad was immovable to her sad story, I stepped up my game. This included a kidnapped phone, a quick contact edit and a personalized ringtone, concluding in a phone call that lead to Mystic finally finding her way home with us.
Today, Mom and I traveled back to PAWS & More (she had been transferred back a few days ago), where she met Faith and Luka. We waited with bated breath, hoping that she would get along with them both enough to come home. Luckily, she did! It was heartwarming to see that, despite being shipped off and returned and dumped so many times, she still appears to be in good spirits and very loving. She does look like she wasn’t treated very well and she’s trying to please everyone, even though our expectations are simply for her to listen as best she can.
It amazes me how much of Paisley I see in her. From her tail, soft fur, to the way her tongue lolls out of her mouth. I look in her eyes and I see Paisley. I know she isn’t Paisley, and that was never the point of me wanting to adopt her. I wanted to give her a home that was stable and loving, where she would never have to worry about someone kicking her out, or leaving her behind. We at least understand what kind of personality and energy level she’s bound to have. In fact, we discovered pretty quickly what kind of energy level she has, as she figured out how to get the front door open almost 20 minutes after she got here. Running after someone for the first time in a very long time, definitely brought back memories.
I’m really glad she has a microchip. I’m sure we’ll be seeing that again.
I’m happy she’s happy now :0)
I have a car!!!
I'm so glad I have a car!!!
Oddly familiar...
I took a picture of Paisley, Christmas before last that looks just like this... Clearly she's family...
She was actually a very good car rider. She was quiet and kept to herself in the back seat. She wagged the whole way home and stared into passing cars as though she were telling them she had her own and was going home. She really is a sweet girl, even if she does need to work on her manners.
She handled all of this really well, even if she doesn't understand why we're doing it... AGAIN.
He likes the scratching...
And then he fell asleep against my pop bottle...
I really hope they get along. It’ll be good if they do.
Hopefully I’ll have time to get real pictures of her soon. I’m just happy she’s here now.
So last night, my Mom and I were looking through the adoptable pets list of some of the shelters in the area. I’m not sure why we do that as often as we do, but I suppose we just like to look at the little fuzzy faces and wish that we could do more for them. Typically when we find a sweet face, we try it on Dad and he says no and we’re back to just looking. But last night was a little different:
Does that look like anyone we know?
(My beautiful Paisley)
That’s because it’s Paisley’s mom.
When we were perusing the lists we saw a Husky/Lab mix adult female up for adoption– We thought it was a little strange to see that particular breed combo again, but didn’t think anything of it until I saw the dog’s name is Mystic. Which was the name of the Husky/Lab female that had given birth to Paisley and her brothers and sisters back in July of 2010 at PAWS & more. I told Mom it was too much of a coincidence that this dog was the same breed mix, the same name and was almost a carbon copy (albeit, older version) of Paisley. When we read the description, all it told us was that Mystic had been brought to the shelter and a microchip had been found but the owner had not. The way it was worded, it sounded like they had not been able to get any information about the owner that had been attached to the chip.
I’ve heard of stories where the dogs have gotten too far away from the area they were chipped in and the information has been partitioned to THAT area, making identification difficult. So I thought maybe I could help if that was the case and sent an e-mail to what I’m assuming is the director of the shelter Mystic is currently at:
Hello!
My name is Jaina– I was looking at your adoptable pet list when I noticed a somewhat familiar face. In September of 2010, my family adopted a Husky/Lab puppy from PAWS & More Animal Shelter in Washington Iowa. She had been born at the shelter to two Husky/Lab mixes, one of which was a female named Mystic. Mystic had been adopted just a few days before we brought Paisley (our puppy) home. I noticed that your description of her included her having a microchip (something PAWS & More offers with every adoption) but that you were having trouble locating the owner. Although I cannot be completely sure, since I never met her in person and only saw her from afar, I am almost positive it’s the same dog. She looks like a carbon copy of my Paisley. I don’t know if this will help you, but I know that when we adopted Paisley, PAWS & More recorded all of our information, including her microchip number. Perhaps you could contact them to see if they can reunite her with her family.
Unfortunately, our Paisley passed away this passed November due to an undiagnosed heart condition. She was a joy in our household and we miss her dearly; it would make us so happy to see her mother reunited with her forever home if it is indeed the same Mystic. If you have the time to let us know if this is the case, we would be delighted to hear from you. We know how much happiness our fuzzy family members bring us, I can only imagine Mystic’s family is feeling great sadness at her being missing.
Thank you for your time,
Jaina
I honestly didn’t know if it was going to help or if it would make a difference. In fact I wasn’t expecting an answer at all this morning, since the shelter is closed on Sundays and they don’t open till noon on Monday (shelters always have such odd hours) but I got a response that they wanted my phone number. At first I wasn’t sure if they thought I was Mystic’s owner pulling a fast one or what, but when I got on the phone, the heartbreak just kept getting stronger.
According to the woman I spoke to, Mystic had been found in the area and the microchip had sent them to get information from PAWS & More (confirming it was Paisley’s mom) but the owners that had been attached to the chip, had stated they had “given her away to a new family, but couldn’t remember who they gave her to”.
I don’t know about you– but if I was “giving away” one of my fuzzy babies, I would KNOW every detail about who I was giving them to. And the only way I would be doing that is if I was TOTALLY incapable of taking of care of them myself. Anyone who knows me or has seen this blog knows I have many animals and although I work two jobs, they’re only part time and I’m not exactly making the big bucks; but I think it’s pretty clear my pets aren’t exactly suffering for anything. But if it did come to that, I wouldn’t just give them to some joe-schmo who said they wanted them. That kind of story makes my Gibbs-Gut go off and tells me that this family didn’t give Mystic away, they dumped her and now they don’t want to take responsibility for it.
Regardless of your situation, surrendering a dog to a shelter isn’t difficult to do. They’re happy to help those animals that need it and it’s far more humane than just letting a dog rot on a street corner. Granted I don’t know the real story, but I know people and this is what happens: They walk into a shelter, see pretty blue eyes and striking pointed ears and that’s it– they’re in love. They don’t take into account that this particular dog is not only Labrador (so FULL of energy) but is also Husky (so FULL of energy and a deep desire to RUN) and that although they’re sweet, loyal, loving dogs, they honestly have been built to run and leap and escape and cost you hundreds in shelter fees. If you don’t understand that– don’t get a Husky, or a Labrador– or for that matter any dog, because you don’t get it.
So now Mystic is right back where she started, just in a different shelter. They had had trouble getting her adopted at PAWS and only just got her a “forever home” a few days before we adopted Paisley.
Hasn’t she been through enough? She’s a sweet dog, according to the woman I spoke to today and at first she cringes like she’s been beaten, but apparently her temperament and attitude is similar to that of Paisley and it just breaks my heart. I don’t understand how people can so senselessly throw their pets away, not when they don’t do anything to deserve it– they don’t know anything more than what’s in their hearts and souls to do, that’s why we as human beings, the supposedly ‘master species’ are supposed to care for them and keep them healthy and safe.
So here’s my warning people– when you adopt a pet, it’s for life. You can’t get it and say “just kidding” and if you decide that’s what’s going to happen, be a grown up about it– take it back to the shelter so someone who’s able to take care of them can. Don’t let them suffer because of your failings or any honest hardships that may befall you. That’s not fair.
I’m sorry about your mommy, little one. I wish there was something I could do. Miss you.
Last weekend, PAWS & More had a few bake sales to raise funds for the shelter. They held one at Theisen’s (a farm supply store) in Cedar Rapids and as we were looking to finish up taking photos of a few more treat selections for Paisley’s shop, we figured we would donate to the cause.
So a few days before the sale, Mom and I got things together and baked up the treats we have available for sale and got them ready. I had to be at work at 6am, and Mom had to be at work by 8, so neither of us was able to drop the treats off once they were done– So. Dad got to do it. Which he did with a smile on his face.
In any case, when Mom and Dad went to check it out after work, half the bags were gone and there were plans to send anything that was left to the other bake sale. As far as we know, the majority, if not all of them were sold. We’re hoping to get more sales from any exposure we got at the sale– Along with Dad’s cute little tags, we also included a “Bounce Back” sale tag with a special code for people to use when they buy more from us. We’ll see if we get any back.
While we were preparing the cookies, we had a little help:
Mouf is down hewe, cookee is nawt down hewe.
She got a little intense...
Well-- it does have her name on it, she should approve it.
Overall, I think the cookies turned out well, even if Paisley attempted to taste test them all.
Even if it made a mess.
Check us out, I'm sure your dogs will love them-- Paisley does.
So, as anyone who actually reads this blog (I’m assuming just people I’m related to, thus this post may be pointless) has probably figured out, I have new pet. I wasn’t really intending to get another pet, since changing jobs and now working one on one with animals every time I go to work. Also, I promised my parents I wouldn’t bring home anymore fuzzy things… Err… Sorry about that?
But, when I met my latest addition, it was kind of a given she needed to come home with me. You see, the littlest Gerbil had an accident and in the process ended up losing part or all of her eye. It’s kind of hard to tell looking at her, but it is very obvious she can only see clearly out of her remaining good eye. Because of her injury, she couldn’t really be sold so she was up for adoption and since I’ve been taking care of her for the last few weeks, I figured who better to take her home and give her a good and guaranteed spoiled life than someone who already knows how she works? Also, in the process of telling my boyfriend about her, I ended up naming her andthenitwasalloverbecauseIstartedcallingherbynameeverytimeIsawhernoI’mnotsorry!
Why yes, I did just justify bringing home a new pet despite my parents direct orders.
Hey, I am an adult– even if I don’t really own the house…
Although she’s a wee bit skiddish (I think just because she has trouble seeing), she’s very sweet and rarely do I get the impression her visual impairment slows her down. Even the parents have decided they like her, as they helped me figure out her two story condo when I got home with her and discovered just how pathetically weak I am when I couldn’t get two pieces of plastic snapped over part of the cage. Good thing I have an awesome Dad who actually has, I don’t know, muscle, or the Gerbil would have been living out of her box for a while. Even with all of that, the unveiling led to everyone “awwing” over the new baby. She just about leaped out of the box she was so happy to see daylight again and everyone immediately gasped and put their hands out to catch her, because no, I don’t need her to loose her other eye within 30 minutes of coming home with me.
So everyone welcome:
Uuuunn... Um... Hello?
Let’s try this again–
Sonofa... SERIOUSLY?!?!!
*grumble* Try this AGAIN…
Of course I would adopt a ninja, so you can't see her...
OOOOOne more TIMMMMMEEE:
Oh no! Human can see me, must throw Gerbil throwing stars!
All this tells me… Is either I need to put tranquilizers in her water or I need a faster camera… REGARDLESS, may I introduce you to, Uno. Yes, I named her based on her only having one good eye, but after seeing these photos, I’ve decided it’s a good gang name– You know, The Ninja Gerbils and whatnot. Seeing as I spent 20 minutes snapping as many photos as I could and I couldn’t get a really awesome one…
I should also add, that she’s lived up to the age old knowledge that Gerbils like to chew things– and often not the things you’d like them to chew, like the munchee sticks or the toilet paper tubes or their FOOD… No. They chew the things you’d rather them not– Like the built-in plastic wheel that comes with their cages… I mean, who honestly spends $20+ on a cage with a starter kit because they think the wheel is going to last longer than 48 hours? Honestly?
Me. That’s who. I’m the idiot that thought since she was enjoying running in it, she would let it be and chew on the two or three toys I had put in there to deter her from chewing on the cage. Yes, I am a fool. How dare I think I could outwit a one-eyed Gerbil with her mind set on the total destruction of all things fun.
48 hours later and the wheel is a no-go
She must have sat there all day today, working on that. And it’s like her mind wandered while she was doing it because she destroyed the nub that keeps the wheel on the stick part and thus, spinning and then all of sudden she’s chewed off a whole side. Really? How bored was she?
I don’t get it. So now I get to add one more thing to the list of stuff I have to replace. Gerbil proof wheel, new ball for Uno to run in when I clean her cage and a new water bottle, as the one that came with the set is the same kind I bought Ianto when I first got him– absolute crap. If you ever think about buying a “Kritter Canteen” don’t. Dwarf hamsters aren’t big enough to get enough pressure on the ball so the water will come out and apparently Gerbils don’t fare any better as I spent about 5 minutes squeezing the bottle for Uno because she wasn’t getting any water otherwise. I suppose critter being spelled with a k should have been a clue, but alas, this one came with the cage too.
I did however learn something from this experience:
Destroyer of Plastic
+
48 hours later and the wheel is a no-go
=
Uno's long lost cousin
Good night all! Until next time!
~Jaina, Faith, Paisley, Yuri, Ianto AND Uno (who better stop gnawing on that plastic ladder in her cage or she’s GROUNDED FOREVER!!!)
Paisley Puppy is trying become famous and with your help she might do just that! Paisley is currently entered into the Bissel Vacuum: Most Valuable Pet contest. Her voting period started on the 15th and runs until the 21st. As of now she only has 20 votes and she’s way behind several other pets!
If Paisley wins the contest she wins a $500 shopping spree (You can get wots of squeakies wit dat!) and PAWS & More Shelter gets $10,000 for whatever they need! AND as if that weren’t enough, Paisley’s face will end up on a Bissel vacuum box! What could be better than that? She sheds so much, she should be a shoe in!
After visiting PAWS & More Shelter and speaking with some of the volunteers we found out that they have some kitties there that have been with them since 2008. That’s far too long for a kitty to be without a family, so I’m featuring some of these kiddies (heee) and maybe someone will fall in love… Maybe it’ll be you– So take a look:
Mary
There is ‘Something About Mary’ that is just great! We so think she deserves a loving home. We are reducing her adoption fee $20 (Till Dec. 31st)! Mary is both a talker and a lover. She’s affectionate and likes attention from people, and she doesn’t hesitate to let you know when she’s ready for more. She was found at a local trailer court under some bushes, alone and pregnant. Most of her kittens have now found forever homes. Mary will share her space and her human family with other cats, but she wouldn’t mind being an only cat either. All our cats have been spayed/neutered, tested for feline leukemia, vaccinated against feline distemper and feline parvo, and have been wormed. They have also been treated for fleas and ear mites and bathed. They will be microchipped at adoption, and come with bragging rights.
Mary is up-to-date with routine shots, house trained and spayed/neutered.
Paul
Paul was born at the shelter. His mother, Mary, was found pregnant and alone in a local trailer park. Paul is the last of the litter remaining at PAWS & More; all of his littermates have found forever homes. Just like Iowa corn, Paul is super sweet! He loves to run and play and can even be a bit corny at times when he finds a toy. When he’s tired, he’ll look for a warm place to snuggle up and sleep—your lap would be the perfect spot! Wouldn’t you like to take this cute little guy home and let him share his sweetness with you? All our cats have been spayed/neutered, tested for feline leukemia, vaccinated against feline distemper and feline parvo, and have been wormed. They have also been treated for fleas and ear mites and bathed. They will be microchipped at adoption, and come with bragging rights.
Paul is up-to-date with routine shots, house trained and spayed/neutered.
Gigi
Gigi is a Domestic Short Hair with gray and white fur. She is just a big sweetheart! She is very laid back and keeps to herself, unless she wants your attention. Then she will make you laugh with her vocal noises. Gigi would be a great lap cat for you. She loves to sit and look out the window. She would be fine living with other cats, and would do fine with a calm dog who is used to cats. All our cats have been spayed/neutered, tested for feline leukemia, vaccinated against feline distemper and feline parvo, and have been wormed. They have also been treated for fleas and ear mites, bathed, and come with bragging rights. Microchipping will take place at the time of adoption.
Gigi is up-to-date with routine shots, house trained and spayed/neutered.
Blinky
Blinky has been staying with PAWS way too long! We are offering $20 off her adoption fee!!!! Sometimes there’s just no gray area … That’s the case here as there’s no question, once you meet Blinky, you’ll fall in love with her. This sweet girl will rub up against you and purr her way into your heart. Her crisp black and white coat is very striking and her golden/green eyes contrast nicely against her coat. Lap time would be very much appreciated. Blinky would like to be your only fuzzy love. All our cats have been spayed/neutered, tested for feline leukemia, vaccinated against feline distemper and feline parvo, and have been wormed. They have also been treated for fleas and ear mites and bathed. Microchipping and transfer of bragging rights will take place at the time of adoption.
**Blinky*$20 off** is up-to-date with routine shots, house trained and spayed/neutered.
Melinda
Melinda’s eyes are what will get you! They are a gorgeous green, big and round. She has a sweet demeanor, ready for a lap to curl up in. She’ll express her gratitude by a soft purr and an arching back to your petting hand. What could be more relaxing than hanging out, watching a good movie, with a pal like Melinda? She’s not all reserved though, this girl also knows how to play. Squeaky mice or extra catnip-filled toy around the house? Watch out! Melinda will put a smile on your face day after day. Her friendship will be something you’ll cherish if you let her into your home … And your heart. All our cats have been spayed/neutered, tested for feline leukemia, vaccinated against feline distemper and feline parvo, and have been wormed. They have also been treated for fleas and ear mites, bathed, and come with bragging rights. Microchipping will take place at the time of adoption.
Melinda is up-to-date with routine shots, house trained and spayed/neutered.
Bobby
Bobby is long and tall and full of spirit! The brother of Tommy, his gray stripes and golden eyes make for one handsome kitty. He’s a curious kitty — always batting toys around with an expression on his face that is so adorable. Bobby is adaptable and can make friends with anyone. He loves people and is ready to call you a friend from the minute go. Chillin’ is this boys’ game after a bit of play. He’d love to hang out and catch a nap on your lap. All our cats have been spayed/neutered, tested for feline leukemia, vaccinated against feline distemper and feline parvo, and have been wormed. They have also been treated for fleas and ear mites, bathed, and come with bragging rights. Microchipping will take place at the time of adoption.
Bobby is up-to-date with routine shots, house trained and spayed/neutered.
Tommy
Tommy is amazing! The brother of Bobby, he’s a beautiful soft gray color with stripes galore. His golden eyes speak to you with kindness. He’s a love of a boy, just craving attention. He enjoys the company of other cats and dogs would be cool friends too! He loves hanging out in his hammock for some leisure time in the sun. Toys and catnip are make for fun times as he’s full of spunk when fully rested. Meet Tommy and you’ll have the carrier ready to take home a new pal. All our cats have been spayed/neutered, tested for feline leukemia, vaccinated against feline distemper and feline parvo, and have been wormed. They have also been treated for fleas and ear mites, bathed, and come with bragging rights. Microchipping will take place at the time of adoption.
Tommy is up-to-date with routine shots, house trained and spayed/neutered.
See, how cute are they? Really cute. And how bad do they need a home? Really bad. So seriously, check them out!
They’re even on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Washington-IA/PAWS-More-Animal-Shelter/50831215837?ref=ts
Paisley went to PAWS & More Shelter last Tuesday to drop off toys to those puppies and kitties that have yet to find a home, for Christmas. She was very excited to get going:
Kay, I’m dwiving– Wet’s get dere aweady!
Dey’re going to be sooo excited to see me!
She was pretty excited about the car ride and despite being waaaay too big to sit on my lap anymore… She found a way anyway. I still have a bruise from her pointy little elbows. Mom thought it was pretty funny, but, I did not. While we were in the car, she found some nature:
I tawt pine needles wewe edible…
It was nice seeing the place again, our experience was really quite exceptional as compared to some of the horror stories we’ve heard of in the past. So thank you, to all of you at PAWS & More for your exceptional service to your animals and to your adopting families.
It’s not a very big shelter, but it I don’t believe they’ve ever turned an animal away and they take very good care of the animals they have.
And look who’s on their wall!
When we arrived, a few of the volunteers/employees recognized Paisley and were happy to see her. They were also happy to report that her mom, Mystic had finally been adopted after having a few possible adoptions fall through. Now the entire family has been adopted out, which is great to hear. Happy puppies and less mouths to feed at the shelter.
While we were there, the volunteers decided to dole out the toys we had brought and the cats were more than happy to test out our donations for us:
It’s really quite sad to see all of these animals still needing homes. As someone who has the full-spectrum of pets, from store-bought to stray to adoption I feel like I’ve gotten an idea of how things go. At PAWS & More and I know Faith, Paisley and I have mentioned this on the blog before, the shelter is overwhelmed with cats. They have so many that it’s pretty much an ASPCA commercial waiting to happen.
See what I mean?
This is in no way meaning the shelter provides subpar care. Absolutely not, even with the sheer number of animals they have, they still find a way to care for them all and love them, even when it seems like there’s no end to the number of animals (the cats, oh the cats especially) who need to find a home. I’ll just leave you to the photos:
They even take in bunnies… He, however, was adopted, so he’s good :0)
In the next post, I’ll feature some specific kitties, who sadly, have been waiting since 2008 to find a home. If I had the room and the boyfriend wasn’t allergic, I would be adopting them all, because it’s far too sad. Keep an eye out for them, maybe you’ll find a friend!
So a few days ago, my Mom called me to run a few errands for her. We were happy to do so for her and I figured it would be a nice get away for everyone. I’ve been feeling poorly, so doing things to get my mind off of it was ok with me and get the dogs out of the house. So. We did.
It was a clown car.
Let me outta Heeeeewwwweee!
He likes her... Really.
Whoa.
I promise… Yuri likes her– or at least tolerates her. When we first had them meet, I think Yuri was excited to meet her, he just didn’t realize she was coming home with us. Once he realized she was– He became slightly more cynical about the whole thing. We’ve also discovered as he’s become the alpha male in our little pack, he’s sort of forgotten what it is to play and be puppy like. Seeing as Paisley is both a puppy and intent on playing, Yuri is at a loss. He doesn’t get it and it frustrates him. So rather than loosening up, he becomes as I like to call him Senor Crankypants about it. He doesn’t really flip out on her, he just reasserts that he’s in charge, which Paisley often forgets– she’s got that “no fear” attitude puppies have.
See what I mean?
I wiww eat dis camwa stwap if it's de last ting I doooo!
She really does love riding in the car, but Yuri didn’t feel like sharing the front seat with her.
Yeeeahhhh.
Can we go aweady?
Definitely sleepy
We got our errands done pretty quickly. Mom needed me to pick up a birthday cake for one of her coworkers– That went in the trunk, because when you have three dogs in the car– one of which is a baby… No. At least she’s a cute baby.
I have no idea how she does this
See what I mean? She’s super bendy and she loves to lay like this. Faith does too, but not quite as bendily. It’s weird. But, she’s decided she really likes beds, mine in particular.
It might as well be hers.
I wish I could get myself to post these faster, but I’ve been feeling pretty badly the last two weeks. It wasn’t until Thursday I actually broke down and went to the doctor. 2 1/2 hours of waiting and I found out I might either have Strep Throat or Mono… Which, let’s face it, I’m in college, I could live in a bubble and still be ill. Got some tests done, both came back negative, but I have a virus, no one could tell me a name and apparently either test could come back with a false negative. I’m currently taking meds (since there aren’t really meds for viruses) that are supposed to deal with the symptoms. Thus far, it doesn’t really feel like it, but I have no idea when it’s supposed kick in or what it’s supposed to do really. I’m just hoping I can wake up feeling energized for a change and not in the middle of the night coughing with some serious chest pain.
So this particular post may be short as I am absolutely exhausted from today’s events and really just want to sleep. Whatever I’m sick with has only left on a semi-permanent basis and keeps reminding me it’s around by causing me to cough uncontrollably for several minutes. So I’m thinking sleep is a good idea.
However, Faith and I had to share the news that Paisley has officially joined our family as of 7pm this evening.
: Yeah. We gotta new bebe. Onwee, dis one doesn’t squeak…
: What do you think of her?
: I dunno yet. She is cute wike my squeakies… But I can’t actuwee squeak her– and she copies me a wot. Can’t do nuffing wifout her following me.
: I think that means she likes you.
: It’s a wittle cweepy. But, I guess dats ok… If she tinks I’m cool…
: Of course.
This morning, after reassuring my professor, a fellow dog-lover, that I would let her know if we indeed adopted a puppy tonight, I sat through class and suddenly realized how anxious I was for the day to be near an end. Seeing as then I would actually be able to meet Paisley and see if she could come home with us. Class broke relatively early and I headed home to grab lunch, finish up some work and get Faith and Yuri prepared for their vaccination. Which really consisted of me putting on leashes and getting them into the car.
I left a half hour early so I wouldn’t be late, seeing as the office we had to go to was a different branch of our vet’s office and I had never been there. I should also mention I’m directionally challenged. So, yes, it’s a good thing, or I would have been more than the 3 or 4 minutes late I was. Found out they weren’t going be getting shots but nasal sprays, much to Faith’s relief and after that, got to head home to meet up with Mom so we could head to the shelter, an hour away from our house.
It felt like the trip would take forever. Like, forrrreeevvver and we had already expressed some concern that for whatever reason, they might deny us an adoption or Paisley would turn out to be a bad fit for us, so this was torture. Faith and Yuri were fine with it though, as long as they got a breeze from the open window and a bit of water from the bottle we bought them before leaving.
When we finally got there (on the first try no less) we nervously asked to see Paisley at which we were guided to an outdoor kennel where Paisley, her mother (so sad to have to separate them) and her father were waiting. I hadn’t had any idea that the entire family had been brought to the shelter, I just assumed that the puppies were accidents (they happen) and that someone had brought them in. Apparently they didn’t want any of them. We didn’t really get a chance to see Paisley’s parents as there was a cacophony of barking and the girl helping us was a bit overwhelmed with excited dogs.
And there she was. Absolutely lovely. She is clearly of Lab and Husky descent (obviously) and never before have I seen so many of my own dogs’ traits in one single animal. My Mom and I were tickled to see that many of the quirks, looks and mannerisms Faith and Yuri have all on their own could be seen in Paisley. She truly is remarkable to handle all of that. In any case, I think it’s clear we had to bring her home. A picture sent to my Dad via text had him leaving a message telling us that despite him being leery of adopting another dog, her cuteness had prevailed. During the meet and greet with our dogs, Paisley handled herself amazingly and so did Faith and Yuri. They all seemed to get along just fine and although Faith was worried she was meeting her replacement, she appears to be channeling motherhood and gets more upset with me if the puppy cries about something than me actually enjoying the company of a new puppy. I’m ok with that. So in the end, she definitely seems to be a good fit for us. She’s beautiful, she’s clearly smart (more on that later) and she is loved by all.
Now if we can get that potty training out of the way pretty quick, we’ll be good! I’ll leave you with some photos! She’s a pretty girl and in case anyone notices, she has two eye colors, in an odd way. One eye is entirely blue and the other is bi-color, both blue and brown. It’s very cool, very odd, but very cool.
She goes in for her first check up this week, sometime, whenever I can actually make it to an appointment with her and hopefully the little concerns we’ve managed to find in the first few hours are nothing and she’s healthy as a horse— er, puppy and we can all just move on and have a good time.
Meet Paisley
Paisley is a good little baby
Paisley has decided she loves the feel of wind in her fur
: Yeah. We gotta new bebe. Onwee, dis one doesn’t squeak… 
: What do you think of her?
: I dunno yet. She is cute wike my squeakies… But I can’t actuwee squeak her– and she copies me a wot. Can’t do nuffing wifout her following me.
: I think that means she likes you. 
