SYKE!!

WARNING THIS IS GOING TO BE LONG SO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!

I love playing pranks and jokes on people but am never any good at thinking them up. However, every year on April Fools I try to come up with at least one good one. Last year I told Shayne I wrecked the car and really had him going on it for awhile. This year, however, I couldn't think of anything.....until now! So, Happy Late April Fools everyone! The last post really only has some truth to it. We did not get a third dog and and the dog wasn't even a boy! (We had to say it was a boy because those of you that have heard us talk about having another dog know that we have said it would be a boy). However, Sherri really would love a third dog! She would have 10 if Shayne would let her but at risk of being the "crazy dog lady/people" he will not give in. And....our girls right now are just too dang selfish to share us, we couldn't get another dog if we wanted to.

This was mostly for our family and friends that give us a hard time about having two dogs and keep wondering when we are going to have kids. Thanks everyone for playing along with all your comments - it really was a good one. Looks like the post title fooled a lot of you! And although this may seem like a dumb joke, if you all could have heard some of the things our families and friends were saying that didn't comment, it really was quite funny. So don't worry Mom/Mama Later you are still just a grandmuthow to two dogs!

Now for the truth and the real reason we had this cute little dog at our house!

This little gal was running around our condo complex and it was freezing. I could tell it didn't have a collar on and it was shaking so bad probably from the cold and from being so scared. I just couldn't leave her out there for fear she would freeze to death or be hit by a car. I tried a few times to catch her but to no avail. So, I went home got some treats and a blanket and with the help of a neighbor we cornered her and I brought her home. Let's just say our girls were not thrilled at all with this idea. We took her in the laundry room (hence the pics from the previous post) and gave her some food and water. She was starving and ate the whole bowl pretty quick. She took a little while to warm up to us but with a little coaxing and some treats she finally calmed down. She just melted our hearts after that, she was so dang cute! We sat down and she would just jump into our lap and lay her head there. Of course Sherri wanted to keep her and after Shayne saw her I think for a split second he was considering it. If you are from Utah and are familiar with the Humane Society they are awesome and do a great job with all the dogs. I usually felt comfortable sending a dog there knowing it would be well taken care of until it found a home. Since we are new here and have never had to do this before I was hesistant as to what to do, not knowing what the shelters here were like. This was about 8pm. I knew we couldn't keep her overnight because our dogs were going ballistic but it was too late to take her anywhere to get microchipped so against my better judgement I called the dog warden.

BIG MISTAKE!!!

They came and took her around 12pm and it was so sad as I was handing her to the warden she just put her little head on my shoulder. However, the warden said they would check for a chip in the morning and if there wasn't one I could come and get her. The next day at work I was asking everyone how the shelters were around here and where I should have sent the dog if the shelters are no good. One of the ladies I work with actually fosters dogs just to keep them out of shelters and told me she would take it and find it a home. Can you imagine my relief, now I was just so mad at myself for making the poor thing spend the night in a cage, we could have suffered through one night with our dogs going crazy! So a note to everyone in Ohio. If you find a stray or don't want your dog anymore please call me and we can find it a foster home (I guess the lady I work with knows quite a few other people that do this). The shelter here is awful and they really do not care about the dogs!!

The next morning I called to check on her and sure enough she had no microchip. So I asked if I could come and get her and was told no. I won't go into all the details but basically I was lied to in more ways than one. I guess once they get a dog they have to keep it 3 days to see if it is adoptable or if anyone claims it. After that if it is not adoptable they put it down. I spoke with some of the trainers from the shelter who said there are a list of things that make a dog adoptable but they don't really check very well and will just put the dog down most of the time because it's easier. I have also been checking on her and they said she is so scared and doing horrible. She isn't being the sweet dog she was for us, and why would she be, she is locked in a cage with a million other dogs and strange people around! Anyway, I have just been beside myself ever since for even calling the dog warden but that's what I get for assuming I guess. I have since been in touch with the director of the animal shelter who has put a note on the chart saying that this dog is not to be euthenized. He told me that if it wasn't adoptable that I could have her back at which point I would give her to the foster home. I tried everything I could to have them let me take her to the foster home in the mean time but they would not give. She obviously would do much better being somewhere else as we witnessed the night she was at our house. What's one less dog for them to worry about anyway? It sounds like they are just in it for the money at this point!! Well, today she is doing a little better but still not great, I plan to keep checking on her until she has found a home or I get her back. I know it's just one dog out of the 100's that they have but if I can save one dog's life then why not? Just last week alone they put down 60 dogs - how sad is that?

Moral of this long story? Do not send dogs to the shelter in Ohio and probably most places for that matter. Check in the paper and online I have found that most places have free foster homes that are much better for the dogs than being put in cages. And...if you are looking for a dog or no anyone that is, this one is super sweet so look her up at the Franklin County animal shelter or get in touch with me. So...even without owning three of my own dogs maybe I really am the crazy dog lady but I don't care - I love dogs and I just can't help myself!

Look at that face, doesn't it just scream cute!

And those ears? I was just dying over them she was so stinkin cute!

Wish us luck, I hope we can find her a nice home!