Olivia Brooks - Editor
You see them traversing the sidewalks, sniffing, exploring, forever curious; they strain on chewed leashes and bark at blue jays. The Corona dogs. The COVID puppies.
They’re everywhere! Families who claimed getting a dog would be disastrous are now realizing there’s truly no better time to adopt a pup. I’m proud to admit my family falls into this category.
For years, my dad had greeted all puppy proposals with a flat-out no and my mom, who championed our requests, still had the stinking suspicion that she’d be the one cleaning up doggy doo. What’s ironic is that they both had dogs growing up and understood the joy of one, or perhaps the recognition of the work involved is what blocked the exuberant naivete that dogs are easy to raise, perfectly obedient, and always friendly.
Why the change? Well, look around. Time has always been an issue for our busy family, but now we’ve more of it than we know what to do with. There’s only so many times you can bear watching the hands on the clock lope around and around at an excruciatingly tedious pace before you try dying your hair a ghastly color, baking some unpronounceable kind of pastry, or leaping headfirst down an internet rabbit hole.
A puppy, however, would certainly keep us engaged and would balance the worry and stress of these times with simple pleasures. Thanks to my mom’s colleague, we were introduced to a pup named Wally. At first sight, we fell in love with his sweet personality and unbounded friendliness. Wally’s dark, silky coat, expressive eyes, and stripe of white down his chest also made him an incredibly handsome dog, perhaps the most handsome dog that ever existed (in my opinion). He was with a foster at the time, who told us Wally was an ace pick. The pup was rescued from a kill shelter in Kentucky through the incredible work of Small Miracles and it was important to us that we could provide a dog with a better chance in life.
Fingers crossed, we submitted an adoption application. As a family, we had pet ownership experience (three cats and a parakeet to be precise), a sizable yard, and a dog-friendly neighborhood, but there was always the chance of being rejected. I think in our heart of hearts, we truly believed the universe would not be cruel enough to deny us our pup, especially during these times, but a smidgen of doubt always manages to slink in.
In the meantime, we watched dog training videos on youtube that were both inspirational (Hey, I think we can do this!) and anxiety-inducing (...but what if we can’t?) and stocked up on dog toys, treats, food, supplies, and miscellaneous products an ad on the internet told us was a must-have.
We also had a lively debate about finding a new name for Wally.
“Wally sounds too much like Wall-E.” I protested, “Great movie and all, but no.”
I offered a few Marvel characters. My dad wanted the name Maximus for some reason? My brother denounced our recommendations yet couldn’t think of any of his own. Great lad.
My mom cooly suggested Marshal. Our ears perked up. A final vote set the name in stone and we couldn’t wait to bestow the new name upon our dog.
Then came The Day. My mom gathered us together and announced we’d been….
Approved!
Obviously. I mean, you read the intro, right?
So anyway, we continued preparing our house and our lives for a dog. We installed gates, baby-proofed everything, bought even more treats, and then came The Night Before.
Adoption Eve, if you will.
Excitement and nerves washed over us in alternating waves. I made a schedule marking everything down to the minute (which was never used).
That morning, we drove to Small Miracles and Marshal was waiting for us in the parking lot surrounded by staff and the fosters. My mom signed the papers, we bundled him in the car, and just like that, we had a dog.
Crazy, right? It still doesn’t seem real.
You see posts online about emptied animal shelters with captions like, “Every dog and cat has been adopted! Hooray!” And it’s no wonder. Pets change your life for the better and you change theirs by rescuing them.
Adopting has really illuminated an otherwise dreary quarantine and I’m incredibly thankful for my pup and all the joy he gives us.