We said never again, but - again.
This is Ellie. Cute, smart, full of energy and real clown.
This is Jasmine. World traveler, shy, smart.
After the last two attempts to have a dog both ended in disaster, we said we were done. We got rid of all of our dog paraphernalia, and I was enjoying the freedom of having fewer responsibilities. Vicki was happy for about a month before she started pining for a puppy again.
She had a Springer Spaniel in the past that was a good dog, so we went to the Springer Spaniel Rescue people to see what was available. They didn't have a dog, but one of the members had a puppy to sell. She was 14 weeks old, and had lived in the house with the family of five her whole life, so she is well socialized. They called her Ellie because she has an L shaped patch of white fur on her back, and we kept the name.
As soon as we got Ellie we started looking for a companion for her. We think one of the problems with the other dogs was that they were lonely. I didn't really want a dog, so I didn't spend much time with them. They needed a canine companion.
A few days after we got Ellie, the rescue got an 8-month-old Springer mix. She was born in a shelter in Kavala, Greece. I don't know why or how, but when she was six months old she was shipped to Detroit and almost immediately ended up in Springer Rescue. Her name was, and still is, Jasmine.
I wasn't thrilled about having dogs again. It's been 3 years since Madison died, and I thought I could never let another dog into my heart. But Ellie has attached herself to me so irresistibly that, well, I guess I have a dog again.
The best part is, Vicki is happy. "Now we have a family again."