Harlee has been begging for a pet for about a year now, I guess the fish we got her when she turned 2 are just not as impressive anymore. Melissa and I have been debating the pet issue for some time now and had decided to get her a cat for her 4th birthday, even though Melissa and cats DO NOT get along. (When she was younger a cat jumped out of a tree to escape her dog and landed on her head, the cat was just freaked by the dog but scratched her pretty good. So now she HATES THEM.) We travel a lot and aren't always at home throughout the day, so we felt getting a cat would be the more appropriate choice since cats pretty much fend for themselves when they are left alone. Plus we don't have a fenced in backyard for a dog, and we tried getting a puppy a few months ago but Melissa couldn't handle the house breaking period. Anyways, after much deliberation, we decided to pay the local Rutherford County Pet Adoption Shelter a visit and see what animals they had.
Melissa had to go by herself since I was at work. She asked for assistance in selecting a cat for Harlee. Specifically, we needed an older cat that was already de-clawed and very kid-friendly. The guy helping her said he had the sweetest cat for us, one that loves to lay in your lap and be petted. When Melissa went to reach for the cat it hissed at her and tried to climb up his shoulder. I'm sure the cat sensed her anxiety, and the feeling from her was mutual. So she decided to just see what kind of dogs they had. After looking over the prospects, she stopped at a female golden retriever named Belle that seemed very timid. The attendant opened the cage and Belle stopped right at Melissa's feet and raised her paw as if to say, "Nice to meet you". Melissa sat down and Belle put her head right in Melissa's lap. She seemed to be a very sweet and well-mannered dog so Melissa decided to take her outside and see how she reacted to being on a leash. When they opened the door Belle stayed right by Melissa's side and never tried to take the lead. After playing with her for about 40 minutes Melissa asked the guy about Belle's history and why such an older dog was at the shelter. The guy told her that Belle came from a family who had lost their home in foreclosure and had to move into an apartment complex that didn't allow pets. So they had to give Belle up. They had her since she was 6 weeks old and she grew up with their two young daughters. Melissa decided it was time to leave and told the guy she would talk to me and see what I thought about adopting Belle. He told us we needed to make a decision soon because her three months were up and she was scheduled to be euthanized. Well this just broke Melissa's heart. When she called me and told me Belle's story she was in tears. Now initially I was trying to be realistic about caring for a large dog and didn't immediately give in to the sympathy I had for Belle. We talked about it and called our family to see what they said. After all, Harlee is somewhat timid around big dogs and Brinlee is still just 10 months old. Melissa's mother told her she would take Belle if it didn't work out with us since she lives out in the country and has plenty of room for her. That was it. We decided to rescue Belle and give her a good home. So we went to Walmart and picked up some go food, feeding bowls, shampoo, collar, and a leash to welcome Belle to her new home. Melissa is going to pick her up today, just a few hours before her scheduled end.
I always say that God puts you in situations that tests your faith and character. I'm not saying that Belle is a 'God send' but it just seemed coincidence that Melissa happened to walk in that shelter the day before she was supposed to be put to sleep. With all this story having a happy ending I just want to say one more thing:
I know this picture is not very good but it's the only one I had of Belle and I had to do a screenshot to get it. I am sure there will be many more pictures of her with our family to come.
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