OTHER WRITING

The Quest

"Not everything is a sign, but it may mean you are on the right track."  So said Luke when I shared what I was sure was a bit of karma pointing me to adopt the brindled puppy who would soon travel from Arkansas to California. I am sure that adopting a child is more intricate, but winding my way through this canine maze has been complicated and emotional.

For the moment my human guide is Betsy. A mutual friend introduced us. Her chosen nickname is short for Elizabeth. She has a 7-year old son whose name is Niko.  I prefer "Elizabeth" to any abbreviation, and my 26-year old son is Nico with a "c" instead of a "k." I am sure that such random coincidences are not accidental.

Our beloved Cinnamon died on July 1, 2019. Inoperable cancer. I held her as the vet-assisted euthanasia transported her soul over what the dog world refers to as "The Rainbow Bridge." I cried and cried. I still wake up in the middle of the night and the absence of her warm, red, furry body at the foot of our bed is haunting.

We decided to begin looking for a dog as 2020 dawned. Maybe it would lessen the ongoing sting of a Trump presidency. And bode well for the election. Didn't most presidents have dogs? Certainly not this horrific world leader with the tacky comb over!

No dog should be subjected to such dysfunction.

Cinnamon had come to us via the San Francisco SPCA 13 years ago. After Nico's Bar Mitzvah celebrating his rite of passage, I agreed that our family was ready to cross over the threshold into dog ownership.

It was a simpler time. Not everyone in the Bay Area seemed to own a dog. The number of dog rescue organizations was fewer, and everyone didn't spend so much time Google searching everything. We visited the SPCA and met Cinnamon who was just a few weeks old. She was with her mother named Brandy, a beautiful, red Golden Retriever. We were told Cinnamon's father had been a Rottweiler, and that she had a brother who was a black Mastiff. Cinnamon and her entire family were up for adoption.

We completed the standard application and Nico wrote an essay about how much he wanted a dog, and drew a picture of himself walking his canine companion. Twenty-four hours later we were approved to adopt Cinnamon.

We hadn't done much research on dog ownership. We brought her home and crate trained her and attended training classes. She spent a few months going to puppy day care. We were referred to Luke, a fabulous dog walker who became a cherished part of our family. We loved Cinnamon unconditionally... everyday.

My husband and I are now ready to bring another puppy into our lives. Our "kids" are in their 20s and no longer living at home. We continue to be an important part of their lives and are blessed with lots of phone calls, periodic visits and family vacations.

It will be just the two of us, however, living with the new puppy. No teenagers to coax into taking the dog for a walk. Or feeding her. Or playing with her. Perhaps even more than Cinnamon she will be a shared focal point for our time and attention. We won't be distracted by the drama of having adolescents in the house.

Betsy admits that she would rather have her teeth pulled than bring a puppy home. She loves dogs, but hers are older. Instead she has a 7 year old. She does, however, believe in the power of canine love to transform lives and is dedicated to volunteering in the rescue world.

Before meeting Betsy I filled out a number of applications to adopt the puppies I discovered on Pet Finder or on the websites of recommended rescue organizations. I responded to Craig's list ads before Luke warned me to stay away. "I’ve always heard it’s not a good practice to get dogs from Craigslist- not responsible breeders or scams."

Most of my applications and email queries remain unanswered. The few that responded had only Chihuahua's or mixed breeds which included lineage heavily weighted with working dogs that would be better off in the country with some sheep to herd or a fence to protect. Cinnamon was large and imminently huggable. She loved a good time and was an avid swimmer and hiker. She was smart, but not too smart! We trained her in the basics, but she was happy to lounge most of the day. She didn't care much for fetch, but she loved croissants and in fact all baked goods. She was the perfect Sunday morning companion!

It was a relief to meet Betsy. She is communicative and proactive and dedicated. We text and talk at most hours of the day and night. Betsy volunteers with a lab rescue based in Arkansas. After our first phone introduction she said, "I have a dog for you!"

Somewhere in Arkansas a pure bred, white Labrador Retriever who had not been spayed became pregnant after a neighborhood Catahoula Hound or a Mountain Cur jumped the fence and had his way with her. No one is really sure who the father is, but the lovely white lab named Marley became a mother of nine. Her human family couldn't keep the puppies, so Betsy was enlisted to find their forever homes. Among her placements were two with a friend living on 40 acres, perhaps a better match than my small, city backyard. Another puppy is being driven to Los Angeles and into the waiting arms of Tom Brokaw's daughter.

It is well known that Labs are kindly, good-natured, and take most things in stride. Most are friendly with everyone, though I read that compared to Golden Retrievers, many Labs are just a bit more conservative with their affections! That's okay; as our Cinnamon was so friendly we often joked that she would walk off with anyone as long as they offered her some tasty morsel.

When I entered the Internet abyss I learned that the Catahoula Hound became the state dog of Louisiana in 1979. I also found out that while Catahoula's can be good family member dogs with proper socialization and consistent training, the important thing to remember is that they are first and foremost, a working breed.

 And then there is this question of papa being a Mountain Cur. The word from Wikipedia is as follows: "The Mountain Cur is a type of working dog that is bred specifically for treeing and trailing small game, like squirrel and raccoons. They are also used for hunting and baying big game like bear and wild boar as well as being an all-purpose farm dog." 

Hmmm. We obviously don't live on a farm and I have never seen a bear or a wild boar in my backyard.

Of course what is most important to know is that just like with children, there is a nurture vs. nature component to dog rearing. Though I have no idea just what the proper proportions are. I basically want my Cinnamon back. She was a perfect combination!!

We know we can't have our " bean" back. She was our Cinnabon, our girl and the best dog in the world. But then again, every dog is the best dog in the eyes of its human family!

We are waiting to meet the girl from Little Rock. In the meantime we finally got word about possibly fostering a Shepherd puppy which we could then have the option to adopt. I check the SPCA website daily and even lust after an unaffordable, pure bred, white Golden Retriever. But then again...would it be wise to get a dog who looks too much like our Cinnamon. We don't want to foist her legacy on our new pup. 

The search continues as I remind myself to enjoy the process and have faith that Cinnamon's spirit and our love for her is allowing me the space and the confidence to once again share our bed and our hearts!