I Lost

Despite my picketing, my threats to never again do laundry or make dinner, and my promise to leave the country, we have a dog living in our house.

I guess, if I am going to be truthful, it's partly my fault.

I always have a story.......

Paul started this whole thing a couple of weeks ago saying he'd found the perfect dog. One of the guys he mentors and his new wife, felt horribly sorry for this perfect dog because they were gone all the time. By the way, the perfect dog, according to my husband, does not bark, chew, run away or eliminate it's bodily fluids in the house. The perfect dog according to me... lives anywhere but this house. Anyway, he asked if we could have the dog and despite desperately trying to obtain the dog, the dog had been given to someone else who would not give it back. (I did the silent cheer.)

But, Paul was convinced that Jackson needed a dog. "He lives in a house full of girls and we hang out with friends who mostly have... only girls. The boy needs a dog! All boys need a dog!"

Yeah, whatever.

The kids got wind of this perfect dog, which is another story, and they began scouring the internet for another perfect dog.

Well, Friday, I was on Facebook and I saw a friend who was trying to give away a Cocker Spaniel that was supposedly a great dog. "Yeah, well, then why are they getting rid of it?"

But, something possessed me to call Paul and tell him about it.

Now, why would I do that?

So, he called and then calls me to tell me, "April!!! It's the perfect dog!"

All these perfect dogs are appearing out of nowhere.

I agreed to go "see" the dog. It just so happened that we were going to my mom's that night and our friends and the dog only live 5 minutes from my mom.

We stopped to see the dog.

It was like seeing Emme for the first time. I couldn't believe how little the dog was and I couldn't believe how cute the dog was.... and I don't even like dogs FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!

We took her out into their huge, unfenced backyard that connected to endless soccer fields. Our friend would walk far away and yell for her and she would would run right over to him. I could tell right away that she was a sweet dog... and then I heard her story.

Her name's Taffy, by the way.

Our friends, Jacob and Sheila, just moved back to our area from the deep south. They have 4 children under the age of 6, and they are living with her parents until they find a house.

They were not planning on a dog. One day, however, they went out to a farm to buy something. On the back of the property, Taffy was chained to a pole. She was matted and had at least 20 ticks on her. She had two gashes in her back because the neighbor boy would come over on occasion and beat her. Taffy, was used to breed, and since the last batch of her pups didn't sell well, they were done with her. "You can have her if you want her" the farmer told Sheila and Jacob.

Sheila, also not a dog lover, looked at Jacob as tears ran down her face and said, "We can't leave her here."

Taffy has been living in Sheila parent's house for the last 3 weeks. Despite being a great dog, she is just too much for them right now.

We left Sheila's parent's house with Taffy in the back seat nestled between my 2 dog loving children, Gracie and Jackson.

We've only had her for 2 days and the family is in love with her.

Even I love her... but only a little bit:-)

I lost the battle. I swore we'd never have a dog. Darn it!