Member-only story
Finding the Goldilocks Dog
How what began as an exercise in frustration resulted in my family finding the perfect companion
“You’re not going to be able to take this dog home,” said Sharon, the adoption agent. I stared at her without saying a word, refusing to accept what she’d said, though I knew full well she was right.
This was our third visit to the shelter in as many weeks. The first two times, we’d gone as a family, and it had been a painful waste of time. Each time, we’d managed to arrive after the few family-friendly dogs had been taken, and each time, we’d walked away downtrodden.
My kids didn’t care if a dog’s adoption card said, “Not For Homes With Small Children.” Nor did they particularly believe me when I told them I wanted a dog just as much as they did. They’d come expecting to go home with a dog, and they could not understand why that wasn’t happening.
The children would cry the whole drive home about how they missed our two late dogs and they wanted a puppy and even a kitty would do if it was cute enough, and my husband and I would feel both frustrated with the process and irritated with the kids for so persistently saying what we all were feeling.
Not an experience I’d recommend.
