How My Dog Taught Me An Important Lesson

Four years ago this month (December 10th to be exact), my husband and I decided to get a second dog. I guess we figured "hey we have a mortgage now, let's add another financial responsibility!" We decided to start at It Takes a Village in Evansville, and we didn't end up having to go anywhere else, that's where we found our George. Here's the thing though, George taught us something pretty important that day. Sometimes the "less desirable" pups, are the perfect fit for your home.

Melissa/103GBF

Here's what I mean, when we met him George wasn't anything spectacular. He wasn't a tiny puppy, he was about 6 months old so the adorable tiny pup phase was over. He was kind of lanky, he had scars all over from having mange, he was (and still is) duck footed, he had beady eyes, and overall was kind of goofy looking. I remember laughing and saying "aw look at this goober!" I put my hand in the kennel and he wrapped his paw around it, so we knew we had to at least meet this pup. ITV workers let us take him out on a leash and take him for a walk. That's when his personality really shined. He had the sweetest demeanor, and while he was excited to get out of his kennel to go for a walk, all he really wanted was our attention. He was happy just to have someone petting him.

Geroge's gotcha day (Melissa/GBF)

We left and brought back our dog Wrigley for a formal meeting, and the two did great so we signed all the papers, paid his adoption fee, named him George, and off we went. That was 3 years ago. He was only 6 months old when we got him, so he still had some growing to do. He ended up filling out (we now refer to him as a potato), his scars softened, and his coat grew in healthy and shiny and ended up being the prettiest brindle coat, that we get compliments on all the time. He really turned into a handsome boy. He's still duck footed which makes him a little goofy, but most importantly he still has that sweet loving demeanor that made us take him home.

Melissa/GBF

I guess my reason for telling you all of this is, when you decide to add a pet to your family, try to be open minded. Don't discount the goofy, less than spectacular ones. You may just miss out on a really great dog. It's amazing what a little love, comfy bed, and a safe home can do.

Happy 3 year gotcha day George!

If you'd like to adopt a pet, please consider rescuing! Here's a list of some great rescues in the Tri-State.

Here's some great places to rescue your next best friend in the Tri-State!