Just kidding, we got a puppy 🙂
I have never had a dog. Not even as a kid. We always had a cat around, but they basically took care of themselves most of the time. My dad “doesn’t like dogs”, so we never had one. I think we maybe had a couple for a couple days at a time once or twice, but they never worked out. I put that previous statement in air quotes because now that me and my siblings are all adults and living on our own, my parents are empty-nesters. With two dogs.
When we decided to get a dog we knew that we wanted to rescue one. We also knew we wanted a puppy, and not an adult dog. This being because we have small children, and with an older rescue you can never be totally sure what may have happened to them in the past, and run the risk of them being set off by something and either scary or hurting the kids, and we wanted our kids to be able to help raise the puppy as well. Maybe when they are a bit older we will rescue an older dog, but for right now, a puppy it is!
We adopted Lilah through a company here in Utah called the Rescue Rovers. They are a foster company, rather than a shelter, and place rescued or surrendered dogs into foster homes until they are all up to date on their vaccinations, spayed/neutered, and cleared by the vet for adoption. Then they collect applications for the dog. They usually like to have at least three applications in for a dog at a time. Then each family comes to the foster house, meets the dog and interacts with it. Then, once all the applicants meet the dog the foster parent decides which family they think will work best for the dog.
This is what I love about Rescue Rovers. Their number one goal is not just to place dogs into homes, but to place them into homes that they will remain in  for the rest of their lives. When you sign the contract to adopt a dog, you agree that in any event you can no longer care for the dog, you are required to return it to Rescue Rovers to be placed back into a foster family. Their commitment to these animals is amazing, and I am so grateful that they are doing what they can for these pups.
Lilah, our sweet shepherd mix, is about 11 weeks old. She was found with her two sisters in a cardboard box on the side of the highway in New Mexico when they were about six weeks old. New Mexico has few resources for dogs, so the puppies were transported up to Utah and placed into Rescue Rovers. Their sweet foster mom Dana then took them into her house and raised them until they were old enough to go up for adoption. Not only do these foster families take them in for all their shots, appointments, and surgeries, but Lilah was already about 75% potty trained and 100% kennel trained. She sleeps through the night snug in her own bed and doesn’t make a peep. These foster families are not just a stepping stone for these dogs. They aren’t just biding their time there until a family comes to take them home. They are being trained with the skills to give them the highest possible chance to have a successful adoption into a family that can keep them forever.
Bless their hearts for that because I would just keep all of the puppies. I would be that lady.
Click here to visit the Rescue Rovers website if you are interested in adopting, fostering, or donating.
Lilah I had another baby! Just kidding, we got a puppy 🙂 I have never had a dog.
