Sunday, March 19, 2017

Pigs in Flight

Much to the chagrin of the kids, I have been extremely clear on the fact that we will never get a dog. Painfully, consistently, stubbornly clear. I have never had a dog. I've never wanted a dog. I don't particularly like dogs. I don't want a dog. Not now. Not ever. Not under any circumstances. Never. Ever. Never ever.

So this is our new dog Ryder.
Ryder

According to the rescue folks we got him from, he is a one year old blue tick beagle believed to have a touch of coon hound. He was listed as ~20 pounds, probably full grown or very close to it, and of modest energy level. He was housebroken, good with kids, somewhat trained, and with no major issues. If his picture was any indication, he really was a beautiful dog.
Ryder and Grace

He was turned in to a 72-hour shelter in North Carolina on March 3, saved by a local rescue shelter, "transferred for disposition" to a Philadelphia-area rescue shelter, and listed for adoption on or around his expected arrival date in Philly on Sunday March 19. We submitted an application, were approved, and were first in line for Ryder if we wanted him. Which we did.

Following Grace's gymnastics meet in south Jersey in the morning (more on that later...), we made our way to the parking lot of the Red Roof Inn in Essington near the airport. In a somewhat surreal scene that felt vaguely reminiscent of some kind of spy movie gone weird, us and a handful of other people all gathered in the parking lot to meet the rescue folks and the incoming transport drivers in three or four SUVs bringing in 3-4 dogs each from the Carolinas and Georgia. Adoptions (or trials) had been arranged with all these different people, and everyone was here to sign papers and pick up dogs.

Ryder was in the second vehicle that arrived, and by around 1:30pm, we had a trial dog. Grace cried. Julia teared up a little. Amp was happy. It was a good moment. And yes, I was happy too.

By 2:00pm we were home. The rest of the day was quite a day. More on that later, but suffice it to say that "modest energy level" perhaps didn't quite do justice to things...

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