$50
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I don't think I can begin this post without describing to you the day Winston and I found each other (yes at a pet shop - boo, hiss, gasp, bad lady for buying from a pet shop), so here it is.
I have always grown up with dogs. I come from a long line of 'dog lovers'. We had family dogs when growing up.
First there was Ollie, the Cocker Spaniel, who I don't remember much of apart from that he was incredibly dopey. And when a three year old thinks a dog is dopey, well you can only imagine!
Then there was Laddie. A beautiful Lab cross German Shepherd. I think this is the only dog that I know whose kennel (that he rarely slept in) cost more than himself. But really, Laddie needs his own post as he was just too special for words.
But getting back to Winston. When Angus and I first lived together we were unable to get a dog as we lived in a unit. I desperately wanted a puppy to start our family. I knew just how much a dog would enrich our lives. We soon found a house to move into and before the moving truck had arrived to collect our boxes, I had already bought dog bowls, leads, brushes, a dog bed and dog toys. I guess you could say I was well and truly prepared to head on out ad bring home our puppy.
So on that fateful Saturday morning, before Winston and I had met, I woke up, rolled over and said to Angus, I am going to find our puppy today. I just knew that today was going to be the day that I would find him. "Yeah right" he said as he rolled over, before jumping out of bed for a day of cricket.
So off I went. It was a perfect day. When I walked in to the pet shop, there were 4 big windows that the puppies called home and a run for the pups set out on the floor. I slowly paced along in front of the windows taking in each and every detail of the puppies for sale. I was so busy looking for my dog that I took no notice of the breed of dog or the price. Each ball of fluff stared at me with there big brown puppy eyes. All of a sudden a little tanned and white ball of fluff looked up at me from his sleeping slumber. He was alone in his window with just a water bowl and a few toys. As I walked along his eyes followed me. I walked back the other way and his eyes never left me. I know this because my eyes never left his either. It really was love at first sight.
I knew he was meant to come home to me. I asked to hold him and he just melted into my arms. A couple of licks with his little pink tongue on the hand that was patting his head was a sign for me that the feeling was mutual.
So now it was time to talk breed. I soon find out he is a Jack Russel cross Shihtzu. I had done a lot of research on different dog breeds and knew that Jack Russell was code for maniac of a dog that malts hair and will be constantly looking for a game and Shihtzu was code for loving lap dog with a woolen coat that wont malt. After a brief conversation with my mum, we came to the conclusion that one would even out the other and if I was willing to take the chance, then it was up to me.
SOLD!
For the price of $600.00
Not bad for a dog four years ago. Well at least that's what I told myself. To be honest, it wouldn't matter what his price tag was. He was coming home with me regardless. Even if it meant him being my birthday, Christmas and anniversary presents for the rest of the year or the next 5 years!
He is our friend, our partner, our defender, our dog. We are his life, his love, his leaders. He will be ours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart.
He is worth so much more than what we paid for him and we love him very much.
