Just say yes to rescue!

So, you guys probably remember we lost our beloved Bruiser around Halloween last year.

We brought him home when he was a 3-month-old pup, and he lived to the age of thirteen. That crazy rascal brought us so much joy! I was beyond devastated with his passing and vowed that we would never get another dog. How could I possibly love and lose another best friend? It hurt heart-deep.

“Once you have had a wonderful dog, a life without one, is a life diminished.” —Dean Koontz

Fast forward a few months. Months filled with…quiet. Oh my goodness, y’all, so much quiet. You see, I’m a writer and I sit over my laptop pretty much all day every day. I need quiet to write, but that eerie silence drove me crazy. Didn’t take long for me to realize I missed the companionship of a dog. Missed the click of nails across the hardwood, following me around the house. Missed the snoring behind my desk, the sweet face that pleaded to go for a ride or for a walk at the park. Took me a lot longer to confess that to hubby. lol.

Before I worked up the courage to tell him I wanted another dog, I ventured to an animal shelter.

Maybe just seeing a bunch of them would stuff that desire for a dog right back into the past. Ha! Big mistake, in the kindest, most truthful way. All those sweet dogs sitting pretty at the front of their kennel or jumping, begging to be chosen. Most barked or rubbed against the fencing, hoping for a human touch. Oh, that I could take them all home! (Well, most of them 🙂 ) The dog in the next to the last kennel caught my attention. He barely lifted his head from the bed. Enough to send me a message with those sad brown eyes. I’m not a puppy. I’m old and chubby. You’re not going to pick me, so just do us both a favor and walk on by. 

Yeah. The receptionist had specifically mentioned Quaszar, an eight-year-old black lab who was surrendered with his mama, both severely overweight and raised on table scraps, because the owners couldn’t take care of them anymore. And I recall my breath hitching at the eight years old part. A senior dog? Definitely not! I’d get all attached and then he’d die!

A few weeks later my heart finally spilled over to hubby.

He was totally on board, but he wanted another puppy. I agonized for weeks about whether to get another Golden Retriever. We knew and loved the breed, but would I always compare the puppy to Bruiser? The exorbitant prices for a golden puppy (over $1,000!) took that off the table for us, and eventually we found a tan and white mixed Lab puppy to rescue. Born on New Year’s Eve, Bolder would be ready to come home in a month. We were so excited to meet him! What do you think? Isn’t he a cutie?

But that sad image of Quaszar wouldn’t let go of me.

Didn’t he deserve a chance to live out his life in a forever home? He’d been in the shelter since November. What if no one adopted him? Would he live the rest of his life there? Somehow I convinced hubby just to go meet him. As you can tell from the picture, the handsome dude must’ve left a lasting imprint on hubby’s heart too. lol.

Looks like we’ll be a two-dog family for a while. No more quiet house, and I’m okay with that. Oh, and we shortened his name to Que. Of course. ❤

Could you say no to that face?