The first of January is a day when you usually end up sleeping in late, blaming it on a late night celebrating the new year. Then you decide to take stock of the situation and make decisions about whether you want spend another day lazing around, or get down to business in tackling the never ending list of things-to-do. I decided to put away the Christmas tree, and the holiday decorations to give a crisp new look to my immediate surroundings.
The year ended with a visit to San Antonio to visit my cousin who just moved into his first home. We heard that they had a new addition to the family, a 4-5 year old dog, a Lab. The dog was so friendly, and clearly very fond of the family that adopted him. He was keen on pleasing us as well, who were only visiting. I was wondering about how my cousin managed to get an older dog, and then I heard the story. The dog was apparently found by a neighbor in the other house my cousin was renting, a week before they closed and moved into their new home. The neighbor had three pets already and was not interested in another one. He did take the dog to the vet to check if there was any way of locating the current owner. There was nothing on the dog that helped. He then told my cousin that with so many puppies were waiting to be adopted, this almost 5 year old dog would likely be put down.
That was when I realized that my cousin was indeed a man who cared, he may be a tough guy with a six pack, driving a truck and motorbike, but inside, it was the heart that ruled. He asked the neighbor to hold the dog for a week, and then took him in when they were done with the move. His wife is a wonderful woman who supported the decision. That dog is now a part of that family and is loved, cared for and protected.
One decision and the conviction to stick to it can make a difference, and I was so proud of this young couple who did it. It reminded me of a similar situation many years ago.
We were a young couple then. A new family moved in next door and they had this big cat, black and white and very friendly. Their daughter actually loved the cat and fed it and took it in in spite of the others. One morning, the cat was crying loudly asking for them to open the door for her. They wouldn't. When I asked them, the girl said that cat was pregnant and was about to deliver and was looking for a place in the house. There was no way the adults were going to let her do that. So she had no choice but to turn a deaf ear.
When we were married, my new husband had said he would have nothing to do with animals in the house, so I was torn about what to do. Having grown up with cats and dogs in the house, it was difficult for me to just watch. My knight in shining armor came through though! He asked me if we had a box and some soft cloth. I got it at once, and then he opened the door and let the cat in. The poor animal was so tired by then, she readily walked in. A few hours later, we had 3 lovely kittens (well, they weren't so lovely then, but they turned out to be the most adorable kittens in a couple of weeks). They were adopted as soon as they were ready, but we got to enjoy them for a couple of months before they took off for their new homes.
The family next door went about as if nothing was amiss, and soon they moved again. The cat followed the girl to the new house and so ended our pet keeping phase.
The year ended with a visit to San Antonio to visit my cousin who just moved into his first home. We heard that they had a new addition to the family, a 4-5 year old dog, a Lab. The dog was so friendly, and clearly very fond of the family that adopted him. He was keen on pleasing us as well, who were only visiting. I was wondering about how my cousin managed to get an older dog, and then I heard the story. The dog was apparently found by a neighbor in the other house my cousin was renting, a week before they closed and moved into their new home. The neighbor had three pets already and was not interested in another one. He did take the dog to the vet to check if there was any way of locating the current owner. There was nothing on the dog that helped. He then told my cousin that with so many puppies were waiting to be adopted, this almost 5 year old dog would likely be put down.
That was when I realized that my cousin was indeed a man who cared, he may be a tough guy with a six pack, driving a truck and motorbike, but inside, it was the heart that ruled. He asked the neighbor to hold the dog for a week, and then took him in when they were done with the move. His wife is a wonderful woman who supported the decision. That dog is now a part of that family and is loved, cared for and protected.
One decision and the conviction to stick to it can make a difference, and I was so proud of this young couple who did it. It reminded me of a similar situation many years ago.
We were a young couple then. A new family moved in next door and they had this big cat, black and white and very friendly. Their daughter actually loved the cat and fed it and took it in in spite of the others. One morning, the cat was crying loudly asking for them to open the door for her. They wouldn't. When I asked them, the girl said that cat was pregnant and was about to deliver and was looking for a place in the house. There was no way the adults were going to let her do that. So she had no choice but to turn a deaf ear.
When we were married, my new husband had said he would have nothing to do with animals in the house, so I was torn about what to do. Having grown up with cats and dogs in the house, it was difficult for me to just watch. My knight in shining armor came through though! He asked me if we had a box and some soft cloth. I got it at once, and then he opened the door and let the cat in. The poor animal was so tired by then, she readily walked in. A few hours later, we had 3 lovely kittens (well, they weren't so lovely then, but they turned out to be the most adorable kittens in a couple of weeks). They were adopted as soon as they were ready, but we got to enjoy them for a couple of months before they took off for their new homes.
The family next door went about as if nothing was amiss, and soon they moved again. The cat followed the girl to the new house and so ended our pet keeping phase.
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