Doing The Snoopy Happy Dance!

We found my mom a dog! He still has to be neutered and get his microchip before he can come home with her. His surgery will be on Wednesday.

Mom and I went to two shelters. The first one had only one small dog, a sweet little chihuahua. The others were all big boys (and girls).

The second shelter was the one we went to Thursday that had just closed as we arrived. In cage number 2 was a little black lhasa apso mix. You could almost feel the instant connection between them. Mom got down low to see him, and he licked her fingers and pressed against the bars trying to get closer to her. We looked at the other dogs there, but returned to the lhasa. One of the shelter employees took us into a little room where we could get to know him.

Mom sat on the little couch in the room and I picked the dog up and put it beside her. He immediately lay down as close to her as he could get, and she was petting him and talking to them as if they were already old friends. In about 10 minutes she had looked over every inch of him. His hair is badly matted in some places, and she could feel his ribs and backbone. He had been a stray, picked up by the dog catcher. They kept him for 5 days, making sure he wasn't ill and that no one was looking for him, before putting him up for adoption.

We put him on the floor and watched him walk and explore. He's about 2 years old and has no obvious health problems. They had already given him his shots and treatments. He needs to be groomed, but we can have that done when Mom gets him home.

I finally said to Mom, "What do you think?" and she looked up at me and said, "I want him." I went to the desk to take care of the paperwork, and when I came back she was sitting on the floor with him, and he was snuggled close to her. When I came in and petted him, he rolled over onto his back to have his tummy scratched. :o)

Mom was a bit disappointed that we couldn't take him home right then, but understood that he can't go until everything has been done. They told her to pick out a collar, leash and toy for him, gave us his shot records, some food and other goodies.

We are going back to see him in the morning (Saturday), and will take my sister, who should be here by then. They told Mom that she could bring a towel, tee shirt, or something with her scent on it if she liked, and they would let him have it in his bed to get used to her scent. On the way home she said, "I think he is going to be just perfect."

For the first time since Chuy died, Mom didn't say "I don't even want to go in" as we unlocked her apartment door. Just knowing that she will have another little companion soon has lifted her spirits and eased some of the pain.

All of us have been praying about the situation. Friday was the first day the little lhasa has been available for adoption. If the shelter had been open Thursday when we were there, he wouldn't have been in the area for adoptable pets yet, and we probably would not have seen him. As my sister said, "It was meant to be." :o)

I'll post a picture soon. They were calling him "Grover" at the shelter, but Mom didn't care for that name. She said she may call him "Teddy," but I don't think that's set in stone yet, either. :o)

I thank all of you and St. Francis for your intercession. If you don't mind sending up just a couple more prayers, that things go smoothly and work out as we believe they will, I'd so appreciate it.

God is good.