Our one year anniversary of Riesling’s rescue was on August 12, while we were on vacation. A whole year. She’s such a huge part of our life now and at the moment is curled up next to me seeking protection from the faint thunder in the distance.
Eric and I had discussed getting a dog for years, but we figured we traveled too much and never followed through with the plan. When we moved to NC, I found a local schnauzer rescue and since that was one of the top hypoallergenic breeds on our list (I am, unfortunately, allergic to cats and dogs), I downloaded an application.
The extensive application sat on my computer desktop for several weeks and finally I took an hour and filled everything out.
The approval process took a few weeks because they called all three of our references and conducted a home visit. The volunteers who run the rescue spend much of their time (and money) to rescue these dogs, so they want to make sure they are placing them in an appropriate home from the beginning!
Once we were approved, I scanned Petfinder.com daily to see what new dogs came in and after only a week or so, “Tinkerbell” showed up…
She was only 13.5 lbs and scruffy as heck when the rescue picked her up. She lived with a 90-year-old smoker whose family put him in a nursing home and turned pup in because no one wanted her. She had just turned 5 years old.
She was at the upper range of the age we wanted but honestly? Her ears sold me. :) Both Eric and I emailed each other about her at nearly the same time, so we set up an appointment to meet her the following week.
She was just about the friendliest schnauzer I’d ever met and we fell in love with her instantly. Her foster mom, Kathleen, wanted to give her a little more time to recover from her spaying and hernia surgery, so we waited a few days to come back and get her the day after my birthday.
Having a pet when you are a kid and then having one as an adult (when you have to do everything) is very different. I’ll admit, it was tough at first. We had to develop a schedule and teach her the rules, but even though we only had her for a week before we had to take a sudden trip to Chicago, I missed her while we were gone.
Today, Riesling is a healthy and quite active 18.5 lbs. We are convinced that she is solar powered, as she rises with the morning sun and doesn’t slow down until the sun sets. Thank you, Ries, for making a wonderful addition to our family. (Even if you drive me crazy barking at squirrels, postal trucks, etc.)