On a bright, sunny day in November of 2015, my husband and I took a drive to one of our local shelters. Having spent about a year discussing the possibility of getting a dog, we had finally decided that today was the day! We had viewed some of the shelter dogs online and one dog in particular stood out to us. We both had the afternoon off from work, so we visited the shelter that day in high hopes of meeting this dog and making him part of our family.

When we arrived at the shelter, we immediately entered the dog adoption area, sights set on our dog of choice. Much like in my book, my husband walked immediately towards the dog we had seen online. However, as we entered that particular row of kennels, a different dog caught my eye. I moved towards him, wanting to get a better look.

As I approached his kennel, I noticed the orange fur, my favorite color. No wonder he caught my eye so easily! I remember thinking to myself, “a dog with orange fur, this must be some sort of sign.” I greeted him with a “hello,” and, much like the story, he lifted his paw in greeting. I couldn’t help but think that that was just the sweetest response I had ever gotten from a dog.

Because we were walking through the rows of kennels, all of the other dogs in this particular row were barking and jumping in excitement and in the hope of getting a new home. It really stood out to me that this orange dog with the big pointy ears just sat there quietly, not making a sound, lifting his little paw and watching me with his deep, brown eyes. I crouched down to him and scratched his head through the fence. He seemed shy and a little skittish and I wanted nothing more than to give him all the love I possibly could. I looked over at my husband further down and called to him, “we need to get this one.” Of course, he was more concerned with the dog we had come to look at, and asked me to join him at that kennel. So, I stood; but before leaving, I glanced down and whispered to this fluffy orange dog, “don’t worry, I’ll be back.”

I walked down and joined my husband to look at the dog we had initially planned to visit. We spoke with a volunteer, who gave us information about him and answered our questions. Though he seemed like a wonderful dog, his personality did not seem to be the best fit for our family at that time. My husband agreed. So I turned to him and asked, “can we look at the other dog now? That’s the one we should get.” At last, he agreed. We asked the same volunteer some questions about him and had the chance to meet him in a separate room without a kennel between us. In person, this orange dog was just so sweet and snuggly. He came right to us when we called for him and wanted nothing more than to be pet and loved on the entire time we were sitting with him. After some brief discussion, my husband agreed that he seemed like an excellent choice.

According to the shelter volunteer and his records, he was a husky/shepherd mix. He was healthy but had not been a good fit for his previous owners, who had not bonded with him as much as he would have liked and who often left him alone. They had expressed concerns about destruction of furniture and the yard. Despite their concerns, when I looked at him, the only thing I could see was a loving little face and a dog that needed some love and attention. We discussed briefly, but my husband and I both knew: this was the dog we needed.

So, we filled out some paperwork and completed the adoption process. Later that day, Charlie Bean came home with us. As it turned out, his adoption day was also his birthday, and Charlie Bean found his new home and his forever family the day that he turned 4. I certainly hope this made for a wonderful birthday present for him.

Since the day we welcomed him home, he has done nothing but brighten our lives, give us love, act like a goofball, and add warmth and affection to our home. Charlie Bean recognizes when we need some extra love or when we are upset and comforts us, he plays with us, he makes us laugh with his antics and smile at his sweet puppy dreams. Charlie Bean runs to us when he is scared, does tricks, and snuggles like a professional. I’m sure he also judges our human antics and laughs at our silly mistakes. He has been an inspiration to me, helping me find the story within myself that could allow me to fulfill my dreams of becoming an author. It hurts at times to think that someone was not able to love him the way he needed, but at the same time, I am so thankful that they could recognize this and allow him to go to a home and a family that could provide him with the same unconditional love he gives to his human family every day. My life has been blessed by this inspirational dog and I can’t imagine a day without him.

Upcoming event reminder: Book signing and sale on Saturday, October 21 from 2-4pm at 2^nd & Charles, Prince William Parkway, Woodbridge, VA. I hope to see you there!

Coming soon to a blog near you: Why We Chose to Adopt.