Dog Years

I often feel I cannot cram one more item on my calendar, not one more do on my to do list, but then I stumbled across the website of my local shelter. I know that future travel will prevent me from having a dog full time at the moment, but who knew you could foster a dog? Offer a temporary home to a dog in need while they were awaiting adoption? I completed the application and before I could even add it to my calendar, I had an interview scheduled with the Foster Counselor and was dragging along my husband one chilly Saturday morning to the shelter. The counselor asked what types of dogs I preferred, and I confessed I had an aversion to small dogs. Wouldn’t you know it, they only had larger breed dogs available. I was the only fool---er---prospective foster parent--- looking for a larger breed.

One by one, I went into the outdoor yard and met the dogs. One 8-year old Pitbull mix named Miles with the energy of a puppy looked me in the eyes and asked, “Are you looking for an office mate?” The next thing I knew Miles was in our car, and headed home with us. The first few days were rocky as we got to know each other. And when I thought he was asking about being my office mate, he was actually asking how many couches I owned. As I said, we were just getting to know each other and things got misinterpreted. Despite my very strict No Dogs on the Furniture policy, he’s slept on every single couch and chair in the house. So, just when I thought I couldn’t squeeze one more second into my days, I am now taking long morning and afternoon walks, helping Miles rescue unretrievable balls that have rolled under bookcases, scratching his ears, kissing his nose, deciphering every whimper and whine, and buying way too many dog toys, Apparently, not being able to find time to do one more thing in each day, didn’t include a sweet thing named Miles.

Miles and many of his friends are looking for permanent homes. Contact https://dcspca.org/ for additional information on donations, adoption or fostering.