Blue Berry's Story
by Jocelyn
After moving to Houston, Texas, from Ohio, I decided it was time to grow my little household that had consisted of me and my 4-year-old tuxedo cat, Chloe. I had no clue where to start looking for a dog, but I knew I wanted a small one, and I knew I wanted a rescue. Several internet searches led me to Petfinder, which led me to the "Cairn terrier." What kind of dog was this? I'd never heard of such a dog. However, their pictures were so endearing, I just had to find out more. Again I went to the internet to look up anything I could find on cairns. It turns out; THIS was exactly the kind of dog I was looking for! After going through the application process, I began working with my matchmaker. I *thought* I knew which dog I wanted; however, it turns out this particular dog was very aggressive toward cats, so she wouldn't be a good match. I was beginning to panic that maybe the right dog for me just wasn't out there! I began looking through all the dog profiles again, and this time one little guy caught my eye--why hadn't I seen him before? There was sweet little Blue, right here in Houston! At 8 years old, he was older than what I had originally been looking for, but once I read his story, I knew I couldn't resist meeting this guy! After many years of being used to breed puppies and being neglected, he was more than ready to find a loving home and live the second half of his life in luxury. Right away I let my matchmaker know I was interested in Blue, and she put me in touch with his foster mom. Surprise! She was the lady who had done my home visit! All of a sudden, I remembered her parting words as she left the day she came to my apartment for the home visit: "Remember, if you don't get the dog you want, there are so many more good ones out there!" (HINT, HINT) The first time she brought Blue to meet me, I knew I had to adopt this boy. Turns out he was already used to cats, and he and Chloe actually showed interest in each other! Needless to say, I moved full speed ahead to adopt him. It was August 26th when he came home, just 3 days before my 29th birthday--the best present I've ever gotten. I've been told that when the adoption was finalized, a resounding cheer from Col. Potter-ites was audible across the nation, as this sweet boy had been patiently waiting for his forever home for over a year.
Since then, he has been renamed Kirby Blue, and we've had quite a few adventures together. We have flown on planes, we've gone to the dog park, we've taken road trips, we've dressed up for Halloween, and we've even gone on the road to promote Col. Potter. He loves coming to work with me at the nursing home and patiently waits for the little old ladies to reach their hands down from their wheelchairs to pet him. He and Chloe get along very well, and I've even caught them cuddling during naps. Not a place do we go where someone doesn't comment on what a gentleman my Kirby is, and how well he behaves (of course, I can't take the credit for that--his foster mom really did all that groundwork!). He loves getting attention and follows his mama EVERYWHERE! No one would ever believe this spunky, energetic ball of fur is 8 years old, because he's always up for a walk or any other kind of adventure that may be at hand. What a wonderful sound it is when we go to sleep at night and I hear his contented *sigh* before he falls asleep, knowing my boy knows he's safe, loved, and always will be. "There's no place like home!"