The Story of a Dog Named Spike... Part 2

After my car accident, I began the inevitable search for my next dog. It didn't take long; the next day I was on the internet, searching Petfinder to see what was out there. I didn't want to make a snap decision, so I didn't allow myself to go and look at any dogs the week I was off work, recovering. However, I wanted another dog SO bad, it was hard to make myself wait.

It was on my trip to my parents that summer that I started to really allow myself to look around. It seemed a good chance; I had to go through a few towns on that drive, so the plan was to stop at each Humane Society and check out the dogs there. It had been 5 weeks at that point but it felt like a lifetime; Morti had become such a part of my daily routines, I didn't know how to readjust my mornings as I no longer needed to get up and take him out or feed him.

I made a list of potential dogs, and I had my heart set on some sort of a German Shepherd mix, but a female this time. So, I stopped in Meadow Lake and looked at all the many puppies they had, but none were it. I stopped in Cold Lake and looked at a dog  thought I would love, based on her picture and description on petfinder. She was some kind of a Chow mix and I thought I wanted a large dog (the bigger the better!) and yet when I took her for a walk, she wouldn't look at me, wouldn't connect at all. She was not the one.

There was a dog named Mandy at the Bonnyville SPCA, and she was a Coonhound cross of some sort, a pretty redish blond furred girl and I wanted to meet her, but by the time I arrived in Bonnyville, I was so tired I was tempted to give up for the day and just keep driving. Somehow I knew I would be disappointed if I didn't stop, so I forced myself to stop and look at her.

I walked into the building, and didn't get to her run; I stopped at Spike's cage and said to the man working "I want to take him out". I did not want any kind of Border Collie Mix, did not want a black dog and certainly did not want another male, but one look at his eyes, and I knew.  I took him out to a grass area just outside the building and sat with him. Spike cuddled right up to me, wanting attention so badly. He gave one little lick on my nose and I knew. He was meant to be.

Somehow I walked away that night, not wanting to decide on the spot; I wanted my dad to be part of the decision and we were heading to Cold Lake the next day anyway, so we could stop and see the boy. As I walked out of the shelter, a young guy was on his way in and I knew... I instinctly knew he was there to see my dog and that night I could hardly sleep because the thought of him adopting Spike before I could bothered me. That's when I really knew Spike was the one. Little did I know that this was just the beginning of a long journey Spike and I would take together....