Avery the Golden Dog: My Adoption Story

So today I'm doing two posts. I was going to just write about how Mom and Dad adopted me, but then it snowed, so I had to include that too! Here is the story of how I came to live with my family:

Mom and Dad were looking for a doggie for a few months but hadn't found one that fit their needs. See, they already had three kitty cats and didn't want to bring a dog into the family unless they knew that the dog had a history of living peacefully with cats. My sisters (the 3 kitties) are like their children, so they not only felt extremely protective of them for their phsyical safety but also wanted to find a dog with a gentle and mellow personality so that the cats would be as comfortable as possible. For that reason they wanted a dog who was older and therefore more mature. They looked and looked, but didn't find any dogs that fit the bill. The hard part about adopting a rescue is that a lot of the time there is no background information available and they wanted to be sure that their new dog was good with cats.

After a few months of going to adoptions at Petsmart and looking online at Petfinder.com they still didn't have any luck. Then in June my mom got a call from her friend who told her that her friend's fiancee worked with someone who was looking for a home for her Golden Retriever (that's me!). She said she had moved from a house with a big yard to an apartment and said she didn't feel she could keep me anymore. She was going to take me to the pound if she couldn't find a new home for me soon! I don't know why. There are lots of rescue groups out there and I am sure that a Golden Retriever rescue group would have made sure I found a good home. Anyway, after a visit and more discussion Mom and Dad decided to bring me home. I was perfect for them, if I do say so myself. Mom and Dad took things really slow with introducing me to the cats and it took them a while to feel comfortable around me, but now we all get along great. Not that they come and snuggle up with me or anything, but they do their thing and I do mine and that's how we all like it.

My former mom did a very good job socializing me and giving me some basic training, but she neglected my health. She said she "forgot" to bring my vet records when she met up with Mom and Dad to give me to them. They later found out that she didn't forget, she just didn't really have any. She took me for my first couple of rounds of puppy shots when I was a baby but after that no more vet visits. I wasn't on any heartworm medication and I had never had a rabies shot! Mom and Dad took me to the vet right after they got me and luckily I had a clean bill of health. Now of course I am up to date on all my shots and am on heartworm, flea, and tick preventative. I also got neutered and microchipped.

Here is a picture of me right after my surgery. My sister Lucy is checking me out.