The Timing Must Be Right

After a wonderful decade with Tanner, Lane and I knew we wanted the kids to grow up with a dog so they could also learn all the lessons pets have to teach us. However, we recognized that getting a pet was a big commitment, and ideally, should last the lifetime of the pet.

Having a toddler and a new baby at the time that we had to say goodbye to Tanner, Lane and I decided it was not the right timing for us to consider adding a new fur-baby just yet. And so, life went on for a time without a dog to call our own. That was the longest stretch of time that I have ever not had a dog in my life, but we were so busy with the girls (and my preparations to launch Red Quill Co) that it really was for the best. Any new dog that entered the picture right then simply wouldn’t get the time or attention that it deserved. 

A New Chapter

A couple of years went by. When Ember turned five and Karissa was approaching three, I found myself longing for a new fur-baby. I would secretly scan PetFinder “just to see what was out there,” and eventually came across the picture of a dark brindle pup named Pretzel. Something about him just caught my eye and I couldn’t get him out of my head. Mind you, I had been adamant about adopting a young adult dog when the time came. Not only did I not want to have to train a high-energy puppy, I also knew the likelihood of adoption went down the older the dog became, and I wanted to give one of those older dogs a chance at a happy life. 

But as I scanned the profiles of other dogs, I just kept finding my heart pleading with me to ask about Pretzel. Without mentioning this pup in particular, I talked to Lane about getting another dog in the near future. He said if we did, he would prefer a puppy that could grow up with the girls, and then our next dog ever after could be an adult adoption. I took the opportunity to show him Pretzel’s picture, along with his littermates, and Lane agreed we should get some more information on them. 

I made the call to Mendo Shelter Pets Rescue and inquired about Pretzel. I was disappointed to discover that he and one other pup from his litter were already spoken for. However, there were three more still looking for their forever homes. Alana asked me questions about our family, home, and current situation, and said that we sounded like the perfect fit for a pup. Then she told me the sad beginning of Mama Cali’s journey with her pups. 

A Family in Need

In early November 2021, a litter of five pups was born to a lonely young mama dog the next county over from where we live. She took shelter from the cold rain under an abandoned house in an attempt to keep her pups warm and dry, hunting and scavenging for just enough food to keep herself alive so she could nurse her babies and seeking out water from nearby puddles. 

When the pups reached four weeks of age, instead of being plump little butterballs as they should have been, they were thin and starving. Imagine hearing the cries from your innocent and very dependent flesh and blood and being unable to provide their basic needs for them. Mama Cali wasn’t able to do much more than she already was. Skin and bones herself, she was unable to find enough food to keep her milk from drying up. Not only was she in danger of not surviving, but without her, her pups wouldn’t stand a chance. 

And that was when Mama Cali’s angels swooped in to save her entire family. Mendo Shelter Pets Rescue received the call about some whimpering coming from underneath the abandoned house and sightings of the friendly and desperate mama on the brink of death. As a foster-based rescue, Shanna and Alana found a volunteer to foster Mama Cali and all five pups (a big thank you to Julie!). Their foster mom devoted the extra time required to nurse them all back to health so they could thrive. It’s not easy raising one pup, let alone five, and once they all started to gain weight and feel good again, Julie had her hands full of pups who enjoyed performing antics and hijinks galore.

Julie would continue fostering the pups for four-plus weeks until they were big enough to be adopted, and she just so happened to be a friend of mine since childhood and didn’t live very far from us. Destiny was calling!

To be continued…

Join me next month when I talk about the day we brought our new pup home!