This story may start out sad, but it does have a happy ending, promise!
In December 2009, our dog Po lost his battle with cancer. Po was a very special boy, and we all were heartbroken, including Puddin’, our (now 7 year old) pit bull. Po was her big brother and best friend.
In the spring of 2010, we knew it was time to start looking for a new family member. Puddin’ was lonely, and we were ready to open our house and hearts to a new dog. We visited local shelters, and of course, looked on Muttville’s website. The minute we saw Smokey (Well, Smokey 3), and read his bio, we knew he would be a good match. He was the perfect size to keep up with Puddin’ and according to his write-up, he was affectionate, smart, and a friendly guy.
We planned a time to meet up with Smokey and his Muttville foster mom, Ali. We went to a park, and watched Puddin’ and Smokey interact – he wasn’t that interested in her, which was perfect. She can be a princess, and is picky when it comes to friends. It was obvious he knew how to read her signals, and his mellow energy was exactly what she liked. At one point Smokey ran up the hill and tried to hump a young dog. That made us laugh, and we agreed to take him home – to take over his fostering, and to see if Puddin’ would accept him as her new big brother.
The rest, as they say, is history. As Smokey made himself comfortable, his easy-going attitude and enthusiasm for the simple things in life (like car rides and laser pointers) won us over. We don’t know Smokey’s exact story, but we do know that his owners deemed him “too old.” Too old for what, we don’t know, because sometimes we can’t keep up with him on walks, and he moves like lightening to chase lights and reflections. We don’t really need to know any more about Smokey’s past, because he belongs with us now. He sleeps in our bed (he pushes), he goes for rides in our car (every day, he insists), and he cuddles with his sister (well, she cuddles with him). It’s been nearly two years since we adopted Smokey, and we have enjoyed every moment with him. And we hope to enjoy many more.
When we think about Po, which is often, we always say, ‘Po would really have liked Smokey.’ And, he would have. They would have been good friends, and sometimes I can almost see them in the backyard together, enjoying the sun and waiting for their next walk.
It’s never too late for a new beginning!
If you adopted a Muttville dog, we would love to feature you in an upcoming ‘Success Story’. Please contact success_stories@muttville.org with the Subject line ‘Success Story’3/14/12
Are you the proud parent of a Muttville dog? Send us your story! Include three of your favorite photos and send it to success_stories@muttville.org with the subject line 'Success Story'.
