Uno
When our family started looking for a new dog, we had a laundry list of things that we wanted: good with kids and cats, calm yet energetic, obedient (or at least trainable!), potty trained, crate trained, etc., etc. We didn't really care about the dog's sex or coloring, but we were certain we wanted a dog around one-year old that was otherwise normal. All in all, it was pretty standard stuff for the average family looking for the perfect pet. So, we did our research and visited the local shelters and pet stores looking for the newest member of our family. Unfortunately, we just couldn't find the right dog.
Then one day we discovered NorCal Boxer Rescue. What an awesome concept! Here was an organization that would help us adopt a purebred Boxer who was current on all of his/her shots, had undergone any kind of medical treatment that was deemed necessary prior to being adopted, and most importantly to us, had been in foster care for an extended period of time to evaluate temperament and identify any special needs the dog might have. Wow! None of the other avenues we had pursued even came close to doing so much prep work to ensure that the dogs were placed with the right family and vice versa. Needless to say, we began the application process and started studying the available dogs shown on the NorCal web site almost immediately.
There were a variety of dogs from which to choose, all in varying stages of life and circumstance. It didn't take us long to zero in on a few that seemed to match our wish list - they were young and healthy and looked like picture-perfect Boxers, just exactly what we were looking for. But, all of that aside, there was one dog that we kept going back to over and over again. His name was Uno, and he was exactly what we didn't want: an older dog with one eye who didn't like cats and had very little known experience with children. Yikes! But for some reason, we couldn't stop thinking about him. So as fate would have it, the NorCal volunteer who conducted our home interview also happened to be Uno's foster mom, so she brought him over for a meet-and-greet during the interview. Much to our delight, we met a very handsome, well mannered, playful, young-at-heart Boxer - not at all the old, one-eyed, special needs dog that we had expected!
After spending a little more time with Uno, it was obvious that he was the dog for us. And what a good decision it has been! He has added so much to our family and quality of life that we can't imagine what we ever did without him. It is sad to think that we could have missed out on all of his wonderful qualities simply because on the surface he didn't seem like the kind of dog we wanted. We will always be grateful for the people at NorCal who gave him a second chance at life so that he could bless ours so richly.
To anyone who is considering adoption, we would strongly urge you to open your heart and mind to ALL of the dogs, not just the ones who fit your list. The heart and soul of the dog is worth so much more than the labels used to define him or her physically. So even though a dog may be thought of as old or special needs, rest assured the love and affection you will receive from your Uno is a blessing so precious that nothing else will matter.
~ The Smith Family
