Man’s Best Friend… Responsibly

by Texas Homesteader ~ 

RancherMan & I had been thinking about getting a dog for quite a while now. We haven’t had any pets for many years and the hankerin’ to get a pooch to hang around the ranch with us has been quietly whispering in our ear for years.

We’d talked about it many times but I’m allergic to pet dander. So the breed we ended up with needed to be more than cute and lovable. It needed to be a lower allergy breed like a poodle, a schnauzer or a terrier.

I wanted a dog small enough that it could be in inside dog. And I wanted it to have what I’ve always called ‘puppy eyes’.  

RancherMan preferred a dog that wasn’t too small to comfortably be outside roaming with him. He didn’t want a young puppy and he preferred it to be a female.

So there ya go – our long list of requirements!

Visiting a shelter for adoption of a four-legged friend is the responsible thing to do. Our dog was spayed, microchipped & immunized. #TexasHomesteader

Sad Reality of Unwanted Pets

We both really wanted to do the responsible thing and adopt when we finally decided to get a dog. It’s a sad fact that so many unwanted animals are born each year to pet owners that don’t have their pets spayed or neutered.

Litter after litter of unwanted cuties are born until they overrun their environment.

They’re often sent out to fend for themselves or even worse. Shockingly it’s common that many of these animals are dropped off on the side of a country road far from home. Out of sight, out of mind!

I’m not sure what’s in these pet owner’s minds about how this could possibly be a better life for their unwanted pet. These poor animals are often doomed to live a life of misery!

They’re hungry, wet & cold. Hungrily searching for food they find trouble with flocks of chickens or rural trash cans. Skirmishes with coyotes or other wildlife can leave them injured and frightened.

And of course many of them are hit by passing vehicles on rural highways. Truly heartbreaking.

Adopting Our Dog

Then one day we discovered a no-kill animal shelter close by. Imagine that, what we were looking for right near home! Ever since we learned of it we’d been keeping watch on their webpage for the animals they have available for adoption.

They’ve had several adoption drives at Tractor Supply in a nearby town & we’ve been close to adopting one of the four-legged sweeties on a couple of occasions.

But we really wanted to be sure we could commit to the long-term responsibilities of owning a pet.

Then recently RancherMan stumbled upon a photo of a dog being held at the shelter the he might be interested in. We quickly decided to go check her out.

Working With The Animal Shelter For A Perfect Fit

When we arrived at the shelter there were dogs of all kinds. Small ones, large ones, barky ones and quiet ones.  There were both purebred dogs and lovable mutts.

And they were waiting for a good furrever home. They all greeted us with wagging tails and it wasn’t long before a shelter worker came out to speak with us and asked if we had any questions.

I told her we had cattle, chickens and grandbabies and wanted a dog that could get along with all of them.

She pointed out the milder-mannered dogs and told us all she knew about each one, which she knew by name. She appeared to genuinely care about getting these animals to the right home. You could tell she was truly a tender-hearted animal lover.

After a while we wandered to a covered area where there were groups of dogs divided into large pens. She explained that these dogs haven’t been at the shelter for long. These dogs  were still being processed.

It’s their policy to hold dogs that come to the shelter for a specified amount of time in case there’s an owner looking for them. If no one claims them after that time the dogs are made available for adoption. When they’re successfully adopted they’ll be spayed or neutered, micro chipped and immunized.

Falling In Love With A Mini-Schnauzer

As luck would have it I fell in love with a pair of cute puppy eyes that belonged to an adult female schnauzer. Hummmm, all of our requirements in one adorable face…   RancherMan could tell right away that I was smitten.

As we stood there at the shelter weighing our decision, he knew this sweet girl would be coming home with us.

Although he initially had his eye on a cattle dog, he agreed that this girl would definitely be the best fit for our family. Here’s the very first time I held Bailey in my arms.

Adopt, Don't Shop! Visiting a shelter to adopt a four-legged friend is the responsible thing to do. Our dog was spayed, microchipped & immunized. #TexasHomesteader

She was still being held at the shelter for a couple more days in case someone came looking for her. So we had to scratch her behind the ears and promise to come back in a few days.

Then the call came, no one claimed this sweet girl. The vet had checked her out and she had been prepared for adoption. As soon as she was recovered from her spay surgery we could come pick her up & bring her home.

Bringing Bailey Home

It seemed like the days dragged by slowly. But finally we were able to introduce her to her new forever home.

The shelter sent us home with a goodie bag filled with toys, heart-worm meds, treats and a brand new collar & leash. They even gave us a free 30-day pet insurance policy!

If you’re thinking about adding a lovable four-legged member to your family, please, please PLEASE consider adopting!

So without further adieu I’d like to introduce to you the 4-legged member of our family, Bailey.

She loves it here at the ranch & she’s become friends with the cows and even the chickens.

I think she fits in quite nicely here, whaddya think?

Adopt, don't shop! Visiting a shelter to adopt a four-legged friend is the responsible thing to do. Our dog was spayed, microchipped & immunized. #TexasHomesteader

~TxH~

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25 thoughts on “Man’s Best Friend… Responsibly

  1. Pamela Smith

    What a sweetie! I’m so glad you adopted from a no-kill shelter. We volunteer at one that our good friend owns and she also knows every dog by name and will only adopt them out to homes where she knows they will be loved and well taken care of. There are so many sad stories out there, so it’s great to read your happy one. Happy for you and for Bailey! Congratulations!

    Reply
    1. Texas Homesteader Post author

      What a wonderful thing your friend is doing, Pamela. These sweet animals deserve a life of love, especially since some of them have suffered so much at the hands of their previous caregivers. Our sweet Bailey was loved dearly by her previous caregiver, but suffered mightily when her caregiver became ill and her care was shifted to others. How anyone could look into those sweet brown eyes and HIT her I’ll never know! We see glimpses of her prior hell from time to time. She loves & trusts us, but she will never be free of her fear of being harmed – my heart breaks over that! But she’s now in a place that will heap lots of love onto her. She loves bouncing around the pastures with RancherMan checking the cows, and accompanying me to the garden. Although her fear will be with her forever, it will never again become a reality for her!

      Reply
  2. Lucy

    She is adorable! I love that you went through the shelter! Enjoy your sweet girl!

    Reply
    1. Texas Homesteader Post author

      Thanks Lucy, we love her!

      Reply
  3. Melissa

    Love her! We have a schnauzer too. They are awesome dogs. They are very smart, eager to please and love to be given tasks. They have great stamina and are sturdy too. Simply love them! Enjoy! BTW, you are featured this week on the hop. How could I resist?!~ xo Melissa

    Reply
    1. Texas Homesteader Post author

      Very cool Melissa, thanks for the feature. We’ve only had her just over a week and we already love her, she’s doing so well with her obedience training too.

      Reply
  4. Deborah

    I have been a dog groomer for 21 years now…and an owner of two miniature schnauzers for eight years. As far as I am concerned…and I KNOW dogs…schnauzers are the best. They are slow to trust, but very intelligent and loving. I tell people they are the perfect dog, all except for the barking. However, love the dog, love the bark. They are guard animals as far as the first alert warning…they use their bark to call in the BIG dogs…you…to come deal with any problems. They are very good ratters as well. Enjoy your new little girl…I know she will hold a special place in your heart, and be a valuable member of the farm!

    Reply
    1. Texas Homesteader Post author

      Thanks for your comment Deborah, I’ve never owned a schnauzer before but Bailey is such a sweetie, we love her already. She doesn’t bark much but that could change as she settles in to her new home. We’re working on her training & she’s very eager to please, it’s going very well. 🙂

      Reply
  5. Terri Henkels

    Congratulations! Dogs are so fun to have in the family and they can grab your heart quicker than anything. I don’t know what I would do without one. Thanks for sharing on the Four Seasons Blog Hop~

    Reply
  6. Kristina & Millie

    too sweet 🙂 I just posted one about our adoption of Macy! Fur babies are so wonderful!! JIC you want to see it: /adoption-of-our-fur-baby-macy/

    Reply
    1. Texas Homesteader Post author

      OMGosh I love your adoption story. And good for you for waiting for just the right baby!

      Reply
  7. JLCwrites

    Congrats on your new family member! I am a huge fan of Schnauzers. My Zoey makes me laugh all the time and our allergy prone family has no problems with dander or shedding. May you have many wonderful years together!

    Reply
    1. Texas Homesteader Post author

      We’ve become quite attached to her already. It’s good to know your allergy-prone family has no problems, I’d always read Schnauzers were good dogs if you had allergies but I’ve never had one. ~TxH~

      Reply
  8. Emily

    What a beautiful, sweet dog! I know what you mean about looking for a dog with those “puppy eyes”. Like you, after many years of not having a dog, we recently adopted a two year old Lab puppy. There is nothing like giving someone or something another chance at love and happiness. When we do, our world becomes a better place.

    Take care.
    Emily

    Reply
  9. Texas Homesteader Post author

    Thanks Colleen, I’ve heard that too. So far she fits in perfectly here. She’s starting to learn her name & will come & sit on command so that’s a big plus. We want to make sure she’s obedient before we allow her to go outside without a leash but she’s well on her way. ~TxH~

    Reply
  10. ColleenB.~Texas

    Congratulations on your adoption of Bailey. She is absolutely adorable and they make for an excellent watchdog.

    Reply
  11. Dians

    She’s a great looking dog. I wish you all the best with her. I have a special place in my heart for rescued dogs, they seem to always remember that you saved them and love you extra.

    Reply
  12. Wendy

    Awww, she’s adorable! Wishing you all the best with your new family member. 🙂

    Reply
    1. Texas Homesteader Post author

      Thanks Wendy – it’s been so much fun having her just in these few days but I know we have lots more fun in store. ~TxH~

      Reply
  13. Kathe

    I always say Max rescued US! I love Bailey and Max is so happy you have your own little furry bundle to love and cuddle with 🙂 I look forward to seeing posts that include sweet Bailey!

    Reply
  14. Carole

    Congratulations on your new baby! I’m sure she will be a lot of fun.

    Now that its getting warmer, I’m kind of missing having a dog to go outdoors with. We’ll see…

    Reply
    1. Texas Homesteader Post author

      OMGoodness Carole we’ve been having so much fun with her! And we feel really good about the fact that she’s adopted from a shelter. Not only a win for her but also a definite WIN for us! ~TxH~

      Reply

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