Narrative
“Yes, Riley, we’re almost there.’’ I replied. “In fact we’re pulling up right now.”
“Yeah,” Riley and Caitlyn said at the same time enthusiastically.
“I want a big dog,” Riley requested.
“I want a dog that’s smiling, Mom,” said my daughter, Caitlyn.
“Okay, we’ll try our best,” I replied.
Woof, woof, there are endless roads of sad, abandoned dogs, each one wanting for someone to bring them home.They were all crammed into tiny metal crates.Your heart just breaks for each of them.Unfortunately, my husband would only let us have one dog.
“Excuse me do you need any help? My name is Ann and I am a volunteer here,” a sweet retired lady asked kindly.
“Yes, thank you.We would like to see a few dogs.We think we want a black lab that is already house trained and good around children,” I replied.
“Okay, I’ll see what I can find,” she said.And with that, she was off.
As my children and I passed all the cages, we were amazed to see the plethora of dogs; however, they all had one thing in common.They all wanted a loving home.The volunteer worker came back with a black lab mix dog named Maggie.She was pretty skinny and she wasn’t barking or jumping or anything.
“You can take her for a walk if you want,” she offered.
“Yes thank you,” I replied.
“Hi Maggie,” I said in a cute high voice.
All she did was wag her tail and cuddle up to Riley.
“Wow, this dog is really obedient, no barking or anything,” I thought to myself.
As the kids came up to her she just licked them and then she jumped up and put her front paws on Riley’s shoulders.She looked him straight in the eyes.I could tell she wasn’t a crazy, jumpy type of dog.The moment was worth a thousand words.A second later she jumped down and started toward the door.I was holding the leash so she gently pulled me into the chilly November air.She seemed to hesitate for only a moment and then kept going.She walked with some fear but she was more comfortable with us after a while.
Soon Riley’s hands were cold and he asked if he could go get some mittens.As he opened the door to the car, Maggie slipped out of my hands and into our green family van in a blink of an eye.
She found a good spot and just sat herself down.At that moment, I knew she was the right dog for us.The sight was so precious.
Now, years later, I have no doubt in my mind that she was the right dog for our family. Maggie is gentle and cuddly like your favorite stuffed animal.At the same time, she is bubbly and full of life as if she has just had too much sugar.I can’t picture any other dog with us; she’s perfect.