Nobody is Truly Alone

The Shelter

I eventually got settled in a comfortable town in Southern California called Oceanside. I had a two bed, two bath apartment, which was more than I needed since I'm only one person, but the space was nice. Back in Washington, I got a degree in education. I always knew that I didn't really want to teach ~ I just got the degree because I hadn't figured out what sort of occupation I truly wanted.   Although, I'm pretty sure I knew that, whatever it was, it had something to do with my love of animals.

       Every morning I went on a run on the beach. All my life I had tried to set fitness goals; yet to no avail, since I had no urge or purpose to do so.  But now, there was a constant yearn ; almost a need, to constantly be by the ocean. If running was the way to do it, then... then you can hit two birds with one stone, right?

       One thing I always noticed about California is how there are dogs EVERYWHERE. There are few restaurants, shops, museums, hotels, and beaches that don't allow dogs. I guess Cali is just a very dog-friendly place. 

       Being alone all the time started to wear on me. I knew what I wanted to do, so the next day I went to the shelter.

      Everybody knows how overcrowded shelters are. But as soon as I walked in, I was truly shocked at how full every single cage was.   As I wandered through the many rows, none of the dogs really gave me the feeling of, 'you're destined to be my dog.' I secretly was searching for a specific personality that you can easily see. I wanted it to be active and playful, but also have a soft cuddly side. Not too hyper, and not to sluggish. And of course, it had to be cute. 

       It was toward the very end of the third row where I saw him.  His ice blue eyes complimented his blonde coat with white streaks, and I could see that he had an open heart and was ready to be loved. I read the sign on his cage. It read:

Hi! My name's Leo. I'm a 3 year-old male Labsky (Labrador and Husky mix) and I'm ready for adoption today!

As soon as we made eye contact he jumped up from his sleeping position and put his front paws up onto the wire cage, wagging his tail and licking my hand through the bars. The shelter woman came up behind me and smiled. I turned to her and said "I'll take him."

It was pure joy to be able to take Leo out of his cage and take him home. I spent all of my free time with him. As far as I was concerned, no boyfriend could be more loyal and dedicated to you than your dog.

But then again, maybe there is that one person out there who could give your dog a run for their money.