Doggone lucky in love

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/02/2023 (1202 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In 2018, we got a puppy after seeing a segment on a local morning show with Spirit of Hope Animal Rescue.

We’d been toying with the idea of getting a dog for awhile — my partner grew up with a dog and wanted the same for our children. I was a little more hesitant, as I’d never had a dog and it seemed like a huge responsibility and a whole lot of work.

However, I also wanted my kids to grow up with a dog in our family and I figured life was already a lot of work and maybe we had capacity for a little more.

So, we inquired about the little rescue dog Spirit of Hope brought on the show.

It was the cutest little thing, but before we even met it, we discovered it wasn’t the right match for our family. The dog didn’t fare well with little kids, and we have three of them.

However, the rescue had this other little dog who needed a forever home — a teeny-tiny little mutt named Isabella that, if I had to guess, looks like the ancestor of a dachshund, pug, corgi and maybe chihuahua all mixed together.

A few days later, we connected with the pup’s foster, Denise. We arranged to have her bring the dog for a home visit.

Our kids were over the moon, though our two youngest only wanted to visit from afar at first. They were giddy but startled with any movement the puppy made around the living room.

A few days later, we brought that puppy home and renamed it Charlie. While it was awesome, it wasn’t always easy.

A new puppy is like a baby in a lot of ways. They sometimes cry at night, they have accidents, they require a lot of care and attention, they make messes and destroy things. They’re expensive and a huge responsibility, but one that is so rewarding. Dogs, after all, are the most loving and loyal companions.

About a year later, we got another puppy.

I know what you’re probably thinking: “Three small kids and two puppies, that is bananas!”

Yes, it was hectic, but my partner saw a picture of Opal — a scrappy little dog with greyish-brown fur and white around the eyes on the rescue’s Facebook page, and there was something about this dog that drew him in. Almost immediately after meeting Opal in person, we knew the dog was meant to be our girl and Charlie’s sister.

Opal is the most timid and loving dog. Skittish, protective, and doesn’t like men all that much on first encounter.

Though far bigger than Charlie, Opal is by all accounts the little sister to the tiny alpha dog. Every night, after everyone has gone to bed, and while Charlie nestles up on the couch, Opal makes the rounds through the house and into our rooms, sleeping at the foot of each bed for a little bit before moving on to watch over the next person.

Both of our dogs are rescues. I don’t know much about Charlie’s backstory, only it was very much loved and cared for by the foster family. Opal was rescued from a garbage dump with several other dogs.

The dog was just skin and bone and barely able to stand when rescued. However, thanks to the incredible volunteers and fosters at Spirit of Hope Rescue, Opal was nursed back to health before becoming part of our family.

In the years we have had Charlie and Opal, there hasn’t been a day gone by where either dog isn’t happy to see us or their love limit has ever been reached. All I know is we are doggone lucky to have these beautiful pups in our family.

Comedian and TV star Gilda Radner may have said it best: “I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me, they are the role model for being alive.”

shelley.cook@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @ShelleyACook