Comfort And Joy...A Fluffy And Smart Story

We haven't been to the island as much lately, Smart, Fluffy, and I. You may have noticed we deserted you for a month or so a while back. The smart one tore her second ACL this fall, which meant major limping and tiresome resting, followed by surgery to remove some lumps and bumps, followed by a huge sigh of relief when lumps and bumps were found to be no problem, followed by the go-ahead for leg repair, followed by a long, continuing period of not nearly as much prancing, sprinting, leaping, and squirrel hunting as Smart would like.

Thankfully, I can say she's on the mend, and we can go for short walks. After an entire morning of being mercilessly pursued around the house by a dog squeaking a giant yellow stuffed duck, I decided it was time for our triumphant return to Belle Isle. It was just the glorious, white Christmas-y kind of day that Smart loves best, even with half her fur shaved off from surgeries. (If you see her wearing an adorable plaid coat, feel free to make fun of me.)

This week is the third anniversary of the fluffy one joining the family. Last year at this time I told Fluffy's story. In honor of Fluffy's anniversary and Smart's good health, today I'll tell Smart's story.

I went to the "Meet Your Best Friend at the Zoo" event just planning to look. Riiiigghhhhtt. It was a week after my xxth birthday (a lady never tells, but it was a traumatic round number). My longtime boyfriend had just suddenly moved out, a few days after my elderly cat (my first pet ever) died. No lie.

I had never had a dog before. The only dog I had known well was my Grandma's German Shepherd, so I thought I wanted one of those. I wandered the aisles of the adoption event, surrounded by the cacophony of hundreds of barking, whining, yipping, growling dogs. I approached a few, but none seemed quite right, until I spied a small black shepherd sitting quietly in her crate. She sat confidently, not scared, or nervous, or frantic, but calmly and alertly looking around. I walked up to the crate. She was happy to see me, wagged her tail, sniffed. I liked her, but I reminded myself that I was just looking that day, and moved on. Ha.

As I walked around, I kept thinking of the black shepherd. She seemed about right. Youngish (7-8 mos), but not a puppy so no potty training. An energetic dog that would drag my lazy self off the sofa and into the great outdoors. The right size, big enough and tough-looking enough to be a single woman's best friend on night walks and when strangers came to the door. An intelligent look in her eyes ...when I was a little girl, my grandma's shepherd knew I wasn't allowed near the canal at the back of Grandma's yard and had been seen grabbing me by the back of my pants, pulling me away if I got too close. I thought I should go back and take a second look. Maybe if she wasn't adopted at the event, I would visit her again later in the week if she seemed promising. Uh-huh.

This time, when I walked up to her crate, a volunteer from the rescue group was nearby. I asked a few questions. Where did she come from? Did they know how she was with cats (two more at home)? The rescue worker said she didn't know about cats, but we could take the dog out on a leash and over by the cats to see. So, she leashed her and off we went. Not much of a reaction to the cats, more interested in sniffing and visiting.

The rescue worker started to tell me about how the dog had been out of the crate a couple of times that day to meet people but hadn't seemed to click with anybody. As she talked, I sat down on the ground cross-legged. The black shepherd walked over to me and sat on my lap, all thirty-five pounds of her. I looked up at the rescue worker and said, "Well, I guess this is my dog." "Yeah, it looks like she picked you" replied the woman.

So that's how I got my first dog. Or how Smart got her person. Either way, it's working out pretty well for both of us.

If you're interested, Fluffy's story is here.

I will be ever grateful to K9 Stray Rescue League of Michigan, who saved the smart one from a pound on the west side of the state. Large black dogs have a harder time getting adopted from shelters. Read more about the extra challenges they face finding a home here.





If you are considering adding a new family member for the holidays, there are incredible dogs (and cats) waiting for you at your neighborhood shelter. I recommend one that looks like Smart, or whichever one picks you.