I GOT A DOG

I didn’t forget to blog about it. It’s just that words fail to match my feelings, and a lot of my free time is taken up in walking and cuddling. Plus there are so many intersecting stories that got us here. How can I say it all? So I’ll keep it simple.

Meet Feebee. She’s a 9.75-year-old, 60 pound, reactive, intelligent, beautiful, earth-angel of a mutt. I’ve had her for two months today.

Feebee is difficult to walk in SLC because of her reactivity. Vet visits and grooming are a challenge, too. And friends, she’s got a record. A second bite, even a relatively minor one like the first, could end her. As her trainer puts it, it’s my job to keep her safe.

But for all that, she is undoubtedly saving me. Somehow, taking care of her anxiety has helped me wrangle mine.

My son was the first to suggest it. I was not doing well with dating, especially during the pandemic. And I was so lonely. All I really wanted was someone who’d walk with me, share meals, keep me company, cuddle me when I’m struggling, and love me enough that they’d want to stay. Said Ethan, “What you really need is a dog.”

I wasn’t sure. I’d never had one, and I’m very allergic. But I figured this was worth a shot, or several. I was just a few months from building up my allergy therapy when I met Feebee at the Best Friends Sanctuary in Kanab. I loved her. I wasn’t perfect for her. I didn’t have a yard, or a partner. I travel sometimes still. But she needed someone with just the right amount of energy, who didn’t have other pets or little kids at home, and someone who could help her with her reactivity. The timing wasn’t perfect: I was hoping to find a bigger place. I had one kid crashing at home at the time who didn’t like dogs. I was hoping to travel a little more, too. But she’d been waiting for her person for three years already. I didn’t want to miss her. I realized I needed her, too.

So on September 10, my kiddo and I packed up the car, drove to Kanab, and brought this girl home.

I started setting up a blog for her, but again, words fail me when it comes to big feelings, so for now you can have this. If we ever set up this blog so I don’t have to send a notification for every little thing, I’ll probably start flooding it with pictures and videos, but for now there’s some videos of her on Tiktok. Thanks for reading and celebrating my cute doggo with me!

Oh, and re: my kid who does not like dogs? “You’ve turned me into the ‘dad says we can’t get a dog meme,’ mom.” They love each other, too. M has moved out again, but is delighted to see Feebs whenever the occasion presents itself.