Happy Sunday! I figured a great way to start or end the week would be to hear about a great adoption story. This is quite a long story, so feel free to grab some popcorn, put on some relaxing music, and read. Let's get into it!

Here are a few fun facts about Dallas!

• He is named after the main character from my favorite movie, The Fifth Element, Korben Dallas.
• Dallas turned 9 months on February 10, 2017. (This date is based on the birth date the shelter gave him).
• The shelter I adopted him from thinks that he is a Border Collie mix.
• He loves to go the dog park!
• Dallas was found stray but I'm pretty sure that he had previous owners because he is already potty and crate trained.
• Dallas's favorite toy is a horse on a rope.
• He doesn't know how to play fetch.

Dallas's adoption story starts before I actually adopted him. In mid-December, I found a really cute looking golden terrier. He had the sweetest face! I called my local shelter to inquire about him, and unfortunately, he had a broken leg. I never announced this but back in June of 2016, I tore a ligament in my ankle and I was on crutches for almost 4 months. I can walk now, but I still have a limp and muscle atrophy. Anyway, I thought "Oh wow! He has a leg issue and so do I! It's meant to be". The shelter told me that he might not be available for another 3-4 weeks. So, just in case, I called about the dog every week for about 5 weeks. I really wanted this dog, but at some point, I gave up.

I decided to go ahead and visit the shelter in person to look at other dogs. I found another really sweet dog! He was a brown terrier mix and I had decided to name him Parker. I inquired about Parker and found that he would be available for adoption on that Saturday, which was the next day! At this point, I had just started a new job and didn't have a set schedule yet, but I told the shelter I would be there first thing in the morning. I later found out that I was working Saturday morning and would have to go in the afternoon. I was really disappointed, but I made sure that I still went! I got there at about 1 pm and walked up to his cage to see that he had already been adopted by someone else. I was devastated! I really wanted this dog, but I guess it wasn't meant to be.

I called my mom and she suggested that I look around again to see if there were any other dogs that I might be interested in. And there weren't really any. Not that the dogs there weren't great and adorable! I just that all the dogs I was interested in were puppies and I knew that I didn't want a puppy. (They're a LOT of work). But this one dog kept standing out to me (This dog would end up being Dallas). He had such a calm and laid back personality. He never barked or bit at the other dog in his cage. He didn't seem destructive or anything! So I said, "Why not! I'll give him a try!" I tried to see if the shelter would let him out so that I could play with him, but he wouldn't be available until the next day. I was a little bummed because I didn't want to come back the next day and he not be the dog for me.

This is where things get interesting. So, my mom brought me to the shelter the next day. We showed up 30 minutes early and I stood right by the door. I made sure that I had his identification number ready so when they opened I would be ready to give it to them. When they opened, I ran in and gave them the number. One of the workers took his information down and went to grab the adoption paperwork. I kindly asked for them to wait because I wanted to meet the dog first before adopting. The worker looked at his paperwork and said, "This dog is a quite popular and he's a puppy. If you don't want him to get adopted before you, I would adopt him now." I looked at my mom said, "I'll take him!" We filled out the paperwork and paid all the fees. Before I knew it, I had adopted him and owned an 8-month-old Border Collie Mix.

To conclude, the meet and greet went well. He was really excited and playful. I am so happy that I adopted him. He has brought so much joy into my life. I have now had Dallas for about a month and owning a dog has had its' ups and downs, but it is so worth it.

Thanks for reading! If you have any questions about caring for a dog/puppy, are considering adopting a dog and want tips, or just want to tell me about your amazing dogs, feel free to leave me a comment. I am more than happy to share any knowledge I have and just talk about how great dogs are! Until next time,