Dogs and I just get each other. They have unwavering loyalty, a willingness to please and give you endless love. I had always grown up having a dog. About a year and a half before my husband and I got married, my family lost my childhood golden retriever, Sasha. It wasn’t long after that I was already begging my future husband to fill the void in my heart that was longing for a dog. My husband’s career takes him away from home nearly every month for a few weeks or more. To some the responsibility of being the one person to take care of an animal during endless TDYs and moving cross-country every two to three years might sound like too much to handle, but I needed it. I needed the distraction and the cuddles on the lonely nights. I needed someone to be home when he wasn’t and a reason to get out of the house to go on long runs. I needed a dog. My husband, being the ever-pragmatic one in our relationship, didn’t give in right away but promised we’d look after moving to our new duty station. I think he probably thought I would be so busy I’d forget, bless his heart! But, holding that sweet man to his word, we drove to Nashville on a rainy October day three weeks after moving into our home to grow our family by four paws.
As soon as we walked through the doors of the Humane Society I saw her, sitting in the back corner of her kennel with matted black fur, shoulders hunched over and head hung low. You could tell the noise of the other dogs nearby terrified her. Her sign said she was five, maybe older, was found wading through floodwaters earlier that month in South Carolina and because she was an older dog she was on sale. For me it was all over, I knew this sweet little soul was coming home with us. Without looking at another dog, I turned on my heels to return to the front desk and fill out her paperwork. My husband grabbed a leash from a peg on the wall and slipped into her damp, dark kennel to coax her out for a walk. When I returned with her adoption papers in hand, I saw a completely different dog. She was smiling, bounding around outside on her leash, her whole body wagging along with her tail at the joy of not being cooped up in that sad kennel any more.
On the way home we stroked her ears and tried out different names to see what fit best. Finally, after nearly exhausting a list of names I found on Google, my husband said, “What about Maggie?” and she perked up immediately. We joke that she picked it out herself! Our sweet Maggie has been with us for nearly three years now and we can’t imagine our lives without her. She is my shadow and the lonely nights when my husband is away are filled with snuggles and kisses. Despite her age she is a great running partner and the best thing about coming home after a long day at work is being greeted with her huge smile at the door. Maggie usually goes everywhere with us, on long walks, to the ice cream parlor, on cross-country trips back home, but just because she’s our third wheel doesn’t mean that it takes away from our marriage. My husband and I left our homes and families in small town Nebraska for the first time when we moved to Tennessee and we bonded even more now that we are truly on our own. Maggie has strengthened that bond between us; she is definitely our fur baby! She’s calms our stresses, keeps us active + shares in our excitement too. She’s the puzzle piece we never knew we were missing.
If you are looking to get a new pet, no matter where you are, please adopt! There are so many sweet, lonely dogs and cats of any age that need good homes. That hashtag #AdoptDontShop really does have a meaning. Purchasing a puppy from a pet store that doesn’t get their animals from another shelter or rescue organization means that they are paying money to breeders that may be mistreating their mama and papa dogs or cats. Regardless of where you are purchasing your four-legged companion from, please do some research and make sure you are supporting people and organizations that are ethical and responsible. Another perk of going to the Humane Society and one of the main reasons we chose their shelter over another in town, was that they spay or neuter all of their animals before adopting them out, saving you money at the vet later on and making you a responsible pet owner all at the same time! Most Humane Societies also offer obedience courses at a discount rate if you adopt through them, just in case your new addition needs a few more manners! If you’re living in the Nashville area and want to adopt your own fur baby, head to the Humane Society. They usually have a discount on older dogs as they are sadly almost always the ones surrendered for one reason or another, Maggie was originally $80 and on sale for $40 because she was five. Additionally, the Nashville Humane Society has a pretty hefty military discount – 50%! Our Maggie girl is truly the best $20 we have ever spent!
MEET ANNA
