Lola

I had been thinking about bringing a dog into my life for years. I was very fortunate in my relationship with D that dogs were involved – her second youngest daughter had two (a pit bull and a lab mixed breed), and her youngest had one as well (a Chiweenie). They were great dogs, and I really loved being around them. Based on my experience with D’s daughter’s Chiweenie, and the fact that my urban setting necessitated a smaller dog, I had decided to see if I could find one of those. I had seen some here and there, though they were snapped up rather quickly, and I hadn’t had a chance to even see one before it ended up adopted.

On a lark, I looked at the page for the Seattle Humane Society one Friday evening and saw Ruby. Cutest pup ever. She was available for adoption the following Saturday morning, so I showed up bright and early to get a peek at her. Knowing that I might want to take her home, I printed off and filled out the Humane Society adoption application before going in. I arrived 10 minutes before they opened and there were already two people lined up at the door! My heart fell, as I knew they had to be there to see my pup. When the door opened, both of the people ahead of me asked to go to the kennel to see available dogs, and I knew then that filling out the application ahead of time would pay off. I followed the second person in, handed my completed application to the person behind the desk, and said “I’d like to see Ruby please.” “Since you are the first person to hand in a completed application, you get the pick of the litter” I was told.

All three little girls were delightful, but Ruby stood out. I did have some apprehension as they all were a bit lethargic, but after a brief conversation with the staff noting they were likely still under the influence of sedation from the previous day’s spaying, I felt assured enough to leave with Ruby. Well, not Ruby exactly. Which gets us to the title of this post. The instant I saw her photo on the Humane Society website, she was Lola to me. By the time we left less than an hour later, Ruby was Lola and both of her sisters had been adopted as well.

That first day was quite a whirlwind. I had to buy a collar and a leash at the Humane Society just to get out the door, and went directly to Petco to pick up needed supplies – food, toys, poop bags, a kennel, treats, everything a growing pup needs. Lola accompanied me into the store and immediately pooped in the cart. Evidently this is not an unusual event at Petco, as it elicited a chuckle and assistance from the staff member closest to us. It was a window into what was to come.