Caleigh and Ollie

I didn’t want another dog. Losing a dog as precious as Sarah left me not wanting the emotional commitment our canine friends create in our lives.

Marie had other ideas. She felt that a home was not a home without a dog. It was an argument that she would win.

One thing we did agree on was that any dog we bring into this home will be one we rescue. We will never buy a dog from a breeder.

Marie started combing the Internet and found Caleigh (on the right in the photo). She had been dumped in a farmer’s field near Goderich, Ontario.

When we first saw her, she was a puppy with energy to spare. She had so much that we almost returned her two times.

On the first occasion, she got out of her cage when we weren’t home. We returned to shredded newspaper and a path toilet paper spread like carpet from room to room.

The next time was when she had caught and eaten a wild rabbit. She started vomiting the intestines on our living room rug. I felt like a magician pulling endless handkerchiefs from his sleeve as I pulled the endless cord from her mouth. Since we have a cat, my concern is that our feline would suffer the same fate as the rabbit.

For some reason, I was always unable to return Caleigh. She would always come and cuddle with me, begging for forgiveness.

Ollie, the one on the left, was found wandering the streets of Albion, Michigan. He was taken to the local veterinarian with mange on his face to be put down. My wife’s niece saw something in this young lad and nursed him back to health. He also had lots of energy.

Joanne, my wife’s sister, got the brilliant idea that if the two dogs got together they might tire each other. She brought Ollie to meet Caleigh and they were instant friends. Merrily they chased each other around our yard and tired each other out. The plan worked!

Today they are healthy, happy, obedient dogs. They are a great addition to our home and our lives.

The lesson I have learned is that first impressions may be totally wrong. To think I was willing to get rid of Caleigh. Ollie was almost put down. Given that second chance at life, they both have turned out to be fine dogs.

As I face challenges in life, I have to remind myself that I have to stick with them until I am sure of the outcome. If I bail out too quickly, I could be missing a lot of joy and goodness that will result in working through the difficulties.