You may remember my
goodbye post from last December. Puddles was the puppy we got from a friend the second summer we were in this house. She developed cancer of the facial mask and at her age it was better to put her down.
This house has now been almost a year without a dog. I don't think I have ever gone that long without a poochie. If nothing else it really gave me time to mourn the loss of my friend. Dh and I have been discussing getting a new dog for a while. This time we wanted a small dog; actually we have decided to each get our own. But we don't want puppies, and we prefer to "rescue" them.
We had a lead two weeks ago on a small poodle type, that the lady was looking for a new home for her two year old dog because she was moving into a residence and could not take it with her. I debated about whether or not we were ready, especially as we are moving into the winter season. By the time I called, the dog was already promised...but to her granddaughter, so I was pleased for them.
Moving on, I decided to check out a local shelter website that I used to visit often, but only found a German shepherd. Too big for us! Though there was mention of a yorkshire becoming available soon, so I emailed them on Wednesday, spoke to the lady on Thursday who would have brought the dog by that afternoon, but I was on my way out to work so that was impossible. Told her I would be by on the weekend.
Yesterday morning, I checked the website before we left, and now there was a picture up of a chihuahua. Dh does not like this breed, yet amazingly enough told me to check out both dogs when we got there and see if "either one does it for me". So off we went...it is like a 45 minute drive one way. Can you believe that the yorkshire was adopted on Friday?!
So I got to meet the chihuahua. The lady at the shelter is not sure how old she is, but she seems in good form. She does not bark, she may be deaf or almost deaf (I really cannot confirm this yet). She is so very, very tiny weighing in at about 4 lbs. But she looks like a fox, and is ginger coloured. I left her in the car with my husband for 5 minutes while I went to check out a beagle (NOT happening!) and when I came back, Dh and "Ginger" had bonded. So I now have my very own chi chi! I was concerned what would happen if the original owner came looking for her, but was told highly unlikely as she had been a "drop and run" at the shelter. The lady also lowered the price as the yorkshire was gone before I got there. This ended up being perfect, as it was exactly what I needed to spend on food, leash, and dishes.
She and Harpo the cat are getting along okay. I am so glad! I got a free doggie pillow when I bought the bag of dog food...just perfect, she has spent the night there. So far though she prefers the taste of the cat's food to hers. I'll have to talk to the vet about that, as that is where I buy my kitty food...special urinary tract stuff as Harpo is prone to infection. Not cheap! but cheaper than the vet bills for sure.
Anyway...here are the two photos I snagged from the shelter's website...just until we can start taking our own. She is a cuddly little thing!
Presenting . . . Ginger
I am a proud new mom!