By Laurel McArthur
I had been trying for a while to get my family to adopt another dog after our beloved Golden Retriever, Haley passed away, leaving behind her best friend Holly, a Black Lab mix. We were all very heartbroken and no one had been in a rush to get another dog. However I felt it would take some time to get my family on board for when the time was right to adopt. I started to add all the rescues on Facebook and Manitoba Mutts really grabbed my attention. After months of checking MMDR's page weekly (sometimes daily) I decided it would be a good time to try and get my family to come to an adoption fair. My mother who had been on the fence about adopting agreed to come with my sister and I, but made sure I knew we were most likely NOT getting another dog just yet. Once we got to the adoption fair my mom couldn't help but laugh at me because I knew all the dogs by name. One specific dog really caught my mom’s eye, he looked near identical to our dog at home but a lot smaller. He immediately tugged at my mom’s heart strings when she noticed how overwhelmed and slightly afraid he was from being surrounded by so much action. I walked up with her and told her that his name is Lefty and I pointed out his little broken leg (to explain his name). After spending a couple of minutes with him she couldn't help but want to take him home. I told her to fill out an adoption form so we could get pre-approved, and then go home and try to drag my dad back to the adoption fair. My dad had been pretty stern about not getting another dog, so we were worried that we wouldn't be able to adopt Lefty. Once we got home my mom told my dad about Lefty and asked him to just come and see him for himself. My dad agreed and came back to the adoption fair with us (not knowing we filled out a form for approval already). We showed my dad Lefty and he couldn't deny how cute Lefty is. Even though Lefty was a bit afraid of him, my dad saw how much it would mean to us (and Lefty) if we adopted him. That day we brought Lefty home.
It's been one week since we adopted Lefty and he sure has made himself at home. Some of his favorite things are playing with squeaky toys, going for walks/runs, cuddling, and using his sister Holly as a hurdle (with a 1ft clearance!) that boy sure can jump. Lefty is extremely smart and has so much personality. Once he gets to know you, he'll be your best friend and loves being by your side. A couple of nights I've even woken up with him stretched out beside me with his head on the pillow! He's still a little timid around my dad but there has been a lot of progress and he'll even let my dad pet him sometimes. My dad is being patient, but we know he's eager to have Lefty as his best buddy and is looking forward to when that day comes.
Lefty may have been over looked by others because of his black fur and his funny leg, but to us it isn't about appearances. It's about the unconditional love that any dog is capable of giving no matter their colour or how scared and timid they may seem. They just need to be given a chance.
We love both of our black dogs very much and can't imagine not having them in our lives.
I had been trying for a while to get my family to adopt another dog after our beloved Golden Retriever, Haley passed away, leaving behind her best friend Holly, a Black Lab mix. We were all very heartbroken and no one had been in a rush to get another dog. However I felt it would take some time to get my family on board for when the time was right to adopt. I started to add all the rescues on Facebook and Manitoba Mutts really grabbed my attention. After months of checking MMDR's page weekly (sometimes daily) I decided it would be a good time to try and get my family to come to an adoption fair. My mother who had been on the fence about adopting agreed to come with my sister and I, but made sure I knew we were most likely NOT getting another dog just yet. Once we got to the adoption fair my mom couldn't help but laugh at me because I knew all the dogs by name. One specific dog really caught my mom’s eye, he looked near identical to our dog at home but a lot smaller. He immediately tugged at my mom’s heart strings when she noticed how overwhelmed and slightly afraid he was from being surrounded by so much action. I walked up with her and told her that his name is Lefty and I pointed out his little broken leg (to explain his name). After spending a couple of minutes with him she couldn't help but want to take him home. I told her to fill out an adoption form so we could get pre-approved, and then go home and try to drag my dad back to the adoption fair. My dad had been pretty stern about not getting another dog, so we were worried that we wouldn't be able to adopt Lefty. Once we got home my mom told my dad about Lefty and asked him to just come and see him for himself. My dad agreed and came back to the adoption fair with us (not knowing we filled out a form for approval already). We showed my dad Lefty and he couldn't deny how cute Lefty is. Even though Lefty was a bit afraid of him, my dad saw how much it would mean to us (and Lefty) if we adopted him. That day we brought Lefty home.
It's been one week since we adopted Lefty and he sure has made himself at home. Some of his favorite things are playing with squeaky toys, going for walks/runs, cuddling, and using his sister Holly as a hurdle (with a 1ft clearance!) that boy sure can jump. Lefty is extremely smart and has so much personality. Once he gets to know you, he'll be your best friend and loves being by your side. A couple of nights I've even woken up with him stretched out beside me with his head on the pillow! He's still a little timid around my dad but there has been a lot of progress and he'll even let my dad pet him sometimes. My dad is being patient, but we know he's eager to have Lefty as his best buddy and is looking forward to when that day comes.
Lefty may have been over looked by others because of his black fur and his funny leg, but to us it isn't about appearances. It's about the unconditional love that any dog is capable of giving no matter their colour or how scared and timid they may seem. They just need to be given a chance.
We love both of our black dogs very much and can't imagine not having them in our lives.
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