a happy little dog named Maggie

How many of you believe in fate? Or destiny or whatever else you want to call it?

I do, I like to believe that everything happens for a reason. Now granted, sometimes it's not easy to think there's a bigger purpose for everything, especially when you're the one going through it, but I tend to keep hope, that everything will work out the way it was meant to be.... in the end.

Two Sunday's ago, we had a family shopping marathon for back-to-school stuff for Alaina. In between Kohls and Target, there is a Petsmart, and the consistent begging, coming from back seat, led us to their doors. I'm not sure about every Petsmart, but ours holds a pet adoption every weekend. The kids and Peter pushed through the dogs and puppies at the front entrance and headed to the cat area, while I was much too distracted with the adoption commotion to continue past the front of the store. One little dog had caught my attention, she was a mini, long-hair, red Daschund and a little girl dog no less. I spent 20 minutes talking with her foster Mom and the head of the rescue organization. Her name was Maggie, and she seemed like a great little dog. We walked away from Petsmart and onto Target, but Maggie stayed in the back of my mind.

(The irony of this, is that in highschool, I had a mini, long-hair, red Daschund named Mandy. My mom has her now in her old age. Here she is. ) I told Peter this little dog was meant to be mine. I was reminded of how, just the day before, I had announced to the world that there would not even be a thought of a 2nd dog...... after I had just experienced a horrendous week of pet sitting my neighbors dog. (Long story, but the alarm company was call, the police were called, Chase got bit twice, the doggy had tummy issues on my carpets, and we got locked of my neighbors house, so I had to keep the sick doggy at my house. It was a terribly long week!)

After a disappointing meeting (with the same news and plans for surgery) with my new gyne-oncologist at the beginning of the week, I spent the next 3 days a completely crying, emotional, sensitive mess. My birthday was a tad uneventful, and Peter called from work to tell me, since he didn't do anything for my birthday, how about calling the rescue center to see if Maggie was still available....

and she was. This is why I believe in fate. Had I not needed an extra package of little girl socks from Kohls, and a 5 year old begging us to go look at kitties before we headed into Target, I would never have seen Maggie. It was love at first sight.

Maggie came to join our family this past Saturday.

Maggie Anderson
arrived on Saturday Aug. 14th, 2010
age: 5yrs. old
weight: 17 pounds
hair: red with black low-lights
eyes: brown

I have to say, for this summer being a complete and total bust, I was due for some good luck and I finally got it!! Maggie has had no problems fitting right in, letting the kids carry her, exploring the back yard, sniffing stuff with Dutchess, and sleeping in bed with me. She's a very confident, patient and well trained little dog. Nothing seems to phase her. She's calm and quiet, cuddly and I can't believe how lucky we are to have her.

We adopted Maggie through Lost Our Home It's a non-profit rescue group of real-estate agents who rescue pets left behind due to home foreclosures or other financial hardships. In Maggie's case, her owner passed away, and a friend had taken her, but when they lost their home to foreclosure this summer, she was sent to Lost Our Home. I think this rescue group is just amazing and I am so grateful to have been able to give Maggie a home.

My new happy little dog, welcome to the family.