For those of you with big families, you can probably relate to my parents who raised five girls. We always had pets growing up…dogs, cats, birds, gerbils, lizards, snakes (much to my mother’s dismay), you name it. Now that all of us have families of our own, they live in a big house by themselves. Last month my mother started talking about adopting a dog and asked for my help in finding the best pup for her and my father. As an animal lover with two dogs myself, I was really excited to take on this responsibility and find my parents the perfect new addition.
I started by quizzing her on her preferences regarding size, gender, shedding, personality, look, etc. so that I could narrow it down to a few breeds that would suit them. We did a lot of research and decided that a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was a perfect choice. I hit the Internet to search Cavalier rescue groups, local shelters, and Petfinder.com, all great resources when looking to adopt a pet. I spent most of October filling out applications, providing references, and calling shelters. The adoption process is very detailed if you work with a credible shelter/organization…when they require multiple references, adoption fees, and sometimes even home visits, it’s a good thing because it means they care about where these dogs end up and that they go to a family who will give them a loving “furever” home. Surprisingly, many of the dogs we were interested in were adopted before we could even check them out.
Finally, while browsing Petfinder.com (which had become my daily routine), I stumbled upon a brand new listing for a tiny Cavalier…the pretty little girl you see in the picture above. She had been rescued from an Ohio puppy mill by the Champlain Valley Canine Rescue, a group of volunteers dedicated to rescuing animals from puppy mills across the country. I immediately contacted them about this pretty red and white colored girl (her coloring is referred to as “blenheim”). Thankfully we were first in line, and after submitting all the necessary materials and doing a phone interview, my parents traveled to Vermont to pick her up from the foster mom. They decided to name her Daisy. A happy ending for both the puppy and my parents…there is truly nothing like the unconditional love of a dog.
