Buying a shelter pup + why we are so glad we did it.

If you keep up with me on Instagram, you probably know that we have a new addition in the family and her name is Eloise! She's 13 lbs. of pure adoring affection, and she’s a shelter pup. 

The commentary I received ranged from "Oh my god, congrats - she is adorable." to "Are you nuts?" So, I will set the record straight for all who care: She is incredibly adorable and yes, I am certifiably crazy." There. Now that we have that covered, let's talk about the whys.

You might recall our old dog, Lucy, passed away a couple years ago from a sad bout with cancer. It really left a mark on our hearts and the girls have been talking about it ever since. In fact, the frequency of which they talk about Lucy was actually becoming depressing. As time wore on, Jack and I discussed how we had plans to get another dog and that time was definitely drawing near. Especially with the girls maturing and becoming more responsible. I use "responsible" loosely. 

Well, that time came quick as we knew after my 40th birthday trip that we were ready to get serious and begin the whole process all over again. So serious that we visited Wright Way Rescue for the second time immediately after. This is where we loosely planned to bring a pup home...sort of.

It really started on Olivia's birthday this past May. In lieu of gifts, we asked the guests to bring blankets, toys, treats and bones so that we could donate them to a shelter. Olivia was onboard with the idea and it was a great life lesson moment. Well, when we arrived, the shelter was so impressed with her donation that they allowed her to play with a puppy. And by her I mean...Lola, Olivia and I. We quickly turned into puppy puddles and the rest is history. I cannot tell you how clean and well-kept those animals were. It really made me reconsider the whole "contact a breeder situation" which ironically, turns out to be quite expensive in comparison to the $385 adoption fee Wright Way requested. So, of course we told Jack all about it and thus the discussion of dogs really revved up. 

Fast forward to several weeks later and many tipsy conversations in New Orleans about puppies and we were driving to the shelter (100% sober, I assure you) on a Saturday two weeks ago. As Jack put it, "I knew we were coming home with a puppy." And we did! Eloise was this sweet 12-month old Pointer mix pup sitting in her crate neary a peep to be heard. We circled around a couple times while Jack kept coming back to her. Before we knew it, we were playing on the floor with her and I was filling out adoption papers. It was that definitive and it was the best thing we've done in a long time.

The house has energy again and yes, I clean up my fair share of #1 + #2 but Eloise is doing some cool things for our family. Firstly, she is teaching the girls responsibility and that owning a pup is not all snuggles. There's gross stuff that comes with it, too! And in no apparent order, she's made our home warmer with all the puppy kisses, we have a built-in security system, she vacuums all the crumbs so one could argue our kitchen is more clean, she's forced me to become more productive because she gets up so dang early and those are just to name a few!

And while I am no expert being this is my first shelter pup, I thought I would share a few things to look out for when you're on a quest to add a shelter animal to your home:

1. Disposition: Is he/she the barker in the bunch? Pay attention.

2. Age + Vaccinations: Is your shelter keeping your animal current? Is it a baby baby or toddler?

3. Reaction: Play with your potential pup. Is there chemistry? Make sure the entire family is in on the decision.

4. Perimeters: Have a lengthy discussion with your littles on all the work that comes with a new pet. It's a team effort.

5. Cleanliness: Is the shelter spic and span? Do the animals appear to be clean, well fed and loved?

6. Length of stay: How long has your pet been there any why?

The amazing thing about Wright Way Rescue is that every Thursday they acquire 40-60 puppies alone, never mind the cats they have in another room. What this means is that their animals are adopted daily and their inventory gets replenished weekly. That's a good thing! That means they have a good reputation and there is a demand for their animals. They sell like hot cakes, actually. Mostly all their animals are rescued from southern Illinois and it's usually a case of too many puppies for someone to care for. We didn't see a lot of abuse or neglect and they have many many breeds to choose from. To date, over 35,000 animals have been placed in homes since its opening. I love that fact!

Eloise <yes, we kept her name> is a sweet, sweet puppy. Sure, our schedule has changed a bit but I am confident she's going to be a great addition to our family for the long run. She really was the missing piece of our puzzle even though we think of our Lucy everyday.

It's amazing how much love you didn't know you had left to give.

Check out today's link ups: Pink Sole, Musings of a Housewife, More Pieces of Me, Watch Out for the Woetsmans Fizz and Frosting, Style Elixir, I Do deClaire, The Mummy Chronicles, The Pleated Poppy, Tucker Up, Get Your Pretty On, Shopping My Closet Sincerely Jenna Marie, Living in Color!