lizzy'sMom
08-09-2004, 05:31 PM
As I was reading this section about all the wonderful rescues you do for labs that are about to be put down, I wondered if I should tell my story. My lab, Lizzy, was not going to be put down, but things sure could have ended up differently! Here's our story...
For YEARS I had wanted a labrador. My family has always had labs ever since I was little and now that I was on my own, it just felt natural that I would get one of my own. However, my living conditions weren't exactly lab friendly right after I ventured out on my own after college. Finally, after waiting and waiting, I decided that it was the right time to go for it. I assured my fiance that a lab would be a great pet for us. He wanted a bulldog puppy, but I stayed strong! I was psycho about looking for a labby! I decided that I wanted to rescue a lab from either a shelter or a local rescue. We visited several shelters and none seemed to fit. On a solo venture, I stumbled upon a great yellow male at my local SPCA! I was so thrilled! He was perfect! Beautiful, young, healthy...just a leash puller! Nothing time and patience wouldn't fix! I rushed home to tell my better half of my discovery! I called the SPCA for the next few days to see how the adoption process was going and they informed me that I was not the first to put in an application. Needless to say, I was devistated! I went back with my fiancee to show him this great dog and while we were approaching his cage, there was another family looking in "my" dogs kennel! I thought in my head that they better not want "my" dog! They told us that they were interested in the female yellow lab that shared the same kennel with the dog we wanted to adopt. The people at the SPCA gave us little hope that this boy would be ours. I just cried and cried hoping that this dog would be ours. After a few days and hearing no new info, I decided to move on and visit a local pet store that was having a lab rescue day. Well, of course, I found a great female! I went home told my fiancee and we had plans to meet with the lab and her foster family 5 days later. In a last ditch effort, I decided to call the SPCA and make sure there was no chance I would get to adopt the lab there. I was shocked when they told me that YES, the adoption was approved and I was welcome to come pick up my boy that same day! I called the rescue and told them my story and they were just happy that I was adopting from a shelter...the dog I was to see in a few days would be adopted to a good home, they assured me. So off I flew to the SPCA to get my boy! They brought him out to me and it was pure love! I was so happy to finally have a dog of my own! I took him home that night and we showered him with love! I was on cloud 9! Three days later, while I was at PetSmart with my new baby, my fiancee received a call from the SPCA saying that they had made a mistake...they had given us the wrong dog! My fiancee called me frantically to tell me that they were coming to pick the dog up that same night to give it to the people that had adopted it. Oh, and all of you will love this...The boy we thought we had...WAS A GIRL! We thought something was strange about "his" parts! I just thought he was squating because he was just fixed! Well, I went nuts! I raced back home from the pet store and called a friend who is a lawyer to ask him my rights. He said that they couldn't come to my house and take her without a warrant. That eased some of my worry. I took a deep breath and called the president of the SPCA back...she was dead set on coming to get my dog! I told her that I flat out refuse to give her back...she's been with us for 3 days, your workers made the mistake. She said she'd have to talk to her legal staff since there was another family ready to get her the next day. I told her that I'd had a talk with my lawyer and he said they couldn't take her without a warrant...that shut her up! (the family that we had seen waiting at the kennel was the family wanting my dog!) I felt bad that there was a male lab at the kennel that needed a home and there was a young family waiting for my dog, but I had bonded with my dog and couldn't bear the thought of giving her back. After a "lovely" talk with the pres. I told her to call me back to let me know what is going on. WE'LL 6 months later, I still have my "mixed-up" lab! She is AMAZING and I can't believe that anyone was willing to give her up to the shelter at all! She has become our world and everything revolves around Lizzy! People have told me that I need to have kids and stop treating my dog like one! POO-POO! I am now content to wait for kids as long as I have my baby girl!
I am so happy that I stood my ground and went with my heart with this labby! I will forever be grateful to the woman who took the "wrong" dog out of that kennel and gave me my angel!
For YEARS I had wanted a labrador. My family has always had labs ever since I was little and now that I was on my own, it just felt natural that I would get one of my own. However, my living conditions weren't exactly lab friendly right after I ventured out on my own after college. Finally, after waiting and waiting, I decided that it was the right time to go for it. I assured my fiance that a lab would be a great pet for us. He wanted a bulldog puppy, but I stayed strong! I was psycho about looking for a labby! I decided that I wanted to rescue a lab from either a shelter or a local rescue. We visited several shelters and none seemed to fit. On a solo venture, I stumbled upon a great yellow male at my local SPCA! I was so thrilled! He was perfect! Beautiful, young, healthy...just a leash puller! Nothing time and patience wouldn't fix! I rushed home to tell my better half of my discovery! I called the SPCA for the next few days to see how the adoption process was going and they informed me that I was not the first to put in an application. Needless to say, I was devistated! I went back with my fiancee to show him this great dog and while we were approaching his cage, there was another family looking in "my" dogs kennel! I thought in my head that they better not want "my" dog! They told us that they were interested in the female yellow lab that shared the same kennel with the dog we wanted to adopt. The people at the SPCA gave us little hope that this boy would be ours. I just cried and cried hoping that this dog would be ours. After a few days and hearing no new info, I decided to move on and visit a local pet store that was having a lab rescue day. Well, of course, I found a great female! I went home told my fiancee and we had plans to meet with the lab and her foster family 5 days later. In a last ditch effort, I decided to call the SPCA and make sure there was no chance I would get to adopt the lab there. I was shocked when they told me that YES, the adoption was approved and I was welcome to come pick up my boy that same day! I called the rescue and told them my story and they were just happy that I was adopting from a shelter...the dog I was to see in a few days would be adopted to a good home, they assured me. So off I flew to the SPCA to get my boy! They brought him out to me and it was pure love! I was so happy to finally have a dog of my own! I took him home that night and we showered him with love! I was on cloud 9! Three days later, while I was at PetSmart with my new baby, my fiancee received a call from the SPCA saying that they had made a mistake...they had given us the wrong dog! My fiancee called me frantically to tell me that they were coming to pick the dog up that same night to give it to the people that had adopted it. Oh, and all of you will love this...The boy we thought we had...WAS A GIRL! We thought something was strange about "his" parts! I just thought he was squating because he was just fixed! Well, I went nuts! I raced back home from the pet store and called a friend who is a lawyer to ask him my rights. He said that they couldn't come to my house and take her without a warrant. That eased some of my worry. I took a deep breath and called the president of the SPCA back...she was dead set on coming to get my dog! I told her that I flat out refuse to give her back...she's been with us for 3 days, your workers made the mistake. She said she'd have to talk to her legal staff since there was another family ready to get her the next day. I told her that I'd had a talk with my lawyer and he said they couldn't take her without a warrant...that shut her up! (the family that we had seen waiting at the kennel was the family wanting my dog!) I felt bad that there was a male lab at the kennel that needed a home and there was a young family waiting for my dog, but I had bonded with my dog and couldn't bear the thought of giving her back. After a "lovely" talk with the pres. I told her to call me back to let me know what is going on. WE'LL 6 months later, I still have my "mixed-up" lab! She is AMAZING and I can't believe that anyone was willing to give her up to the shelter at all! She has become our world and everything revolves around Lizzy! People have told me that I need to have kids and stop treating my dog like one! POO-POO! I am now content to wait for kids as long as I have my baby girl!
I am so happy that I stood my ground and went with my heart with this labby! I will forever be grateful to the woman who took the "wrong" dog out of that kennel and gave me my angel!