a penny saved

We adopted a dog! She'd had a bad owner who was taken to court for starving and neglecting her, and she was put in the pound while the deadbeat was on trial. While in the pound she either met the love of her life or was very unkindly violated (it's unclear as to which since she was not keeping a diary at the time), but she had 8 puppies. The pound was going to euthanize her and her pups, but Save A Dog Today, a local rescue group, found them all foster and permanent homes. She'd been living with her very nice foster mom in Red Bluff for the last year, just enjoying life with the other foster dogs, the cats and the goats.

Now, she's ours! We've named her Penny, she's about 2 years old, a pit bull/bulldog mix, and is a great dog. She's a little shy, especially around men, but she loves Josh and i to pieces. She's very well-behaved, enjoys chilling out on her dog bed, getting belly scratches, and chasing lizards, and came with some very cool dance moves. She is very pretty and has a great smile. My grandpa says we need to take a sharpie and draw eyebrows on her, but i think we'll save that for Halloween. She's a great walking buddy, although a bit of a scardycat sometimes. She's only mildly interested in Cosmo, which confuses and insults him to no end, since he's used to Kahlua's unhealthy obsession with him. In typical bull-breed fashion, she sneezes backwards, so it's more of a bizarre snort than a sneeze, and we're still getting used to that sound and the idea that it's only a sound, with no spewing substances accompanying. She snores a bit, too, and it's funny. She's a great size, not too big but still beefy enough to hug and she's very soft and doesn't seem to shed. She's a very easy-going dog, happy to nap while we read or watch tv and has kept the barking-at-our-neighbors to a minimum. Come meet her! She's family now!

Sidebar: some people were justifiably concerned about us adopting a dog (much less a pit bull) rather than getting a puppy. We spoke extensively with Penny's foster mom, met the 2 of them at Petco, and had a home visit before any decisions were made. We were very impressed with SADT and the commitment they have to making good matches, not just getting the dogs adopted. We recommend that anyone considering adopting use a similar approach. Getting a sense of who's been 'parenting' your dog while it awaits its home is just as important as liking the dog itself. Also, Penny came to us in great health, is fixed, up to date on all shots and vaccines, and is microchipped. Even after spending money on a bed, crate, leash, and other accessories, her adoption fee only covered a fraction of the regular vet bills one would incur with a puppy. That being said, if you're looking to adopt, use Petfinder. It's a great database of all kinds of pets looking for homes all over the country. Just select what you're looking for and enter your zip code, and then just try to resist all the cute furry faces waiting for you in your town. Or, if you're NOT planning on adding an animal to your brood, consider making a donation to a rescue organization in your area. They're usually non-profit (ie, tax deductible) and are run by good, hard working people. Sermon over.