Well, it wasn't like anyone was going to get hurt....

we are just there to look around. The Dog Pound.

Why does a person want to visit the dog pound?

I think it is mostly out of curiosity , just to see what it looks likes. To visit the poor pooches who are looking at you for their last hope before they are "put down".

Are they nice dogs? Are they shy? Are they cute ? Will they bite you? Do they stink? Do they make me smile? Doesn't everyone think these things?!?? I have always, i mean always, been drawn to the pound.

Or maybe I am being politically incorrect here? The Animal Shelter. Better???

The thing is..... I hate to go there by myself and EVERY TIME, I ask...... "Hey, you want to stop by the dog pound and look at the dogs?"....... I ALWAYS get a big fat NO!!!! ...........No one ever says "Why yes, Ruth I would love to go and look at the doggies."


Until.............. last week, my daughter Lisa, is home visiting from California. We go have lunch and I didn't feel like going home yet. Plus with the price of gas coming down, it felt so nice to just drive somewhere for the hell of it.

So I say......... "THE WORDS" ....... "Hey, you wanna go look at the dogs at the dog pound?" I hold my breath, because i know what is coming........

She said YES!!!!!

Without hesitation, no look, of let me think of someway to get out of this.
Just a simple YES!!!!!!

Well, I was so taken back with a positive answer,
that I looked at her all excited and scared, and said "REALLY?!!?"

Just to make sure she did in deed said YES!
Lisa replied " Sure, it's just like a free zoo!" That was good enough for me!

I now had a pound partner!!!!!!!! Cheers!!!!!

We go start down the hall where the dogs are kept.

The first thing that hits you is THE SMELL!! Man, did it stink! Your fingers automatically goes to cover your nose.
Your eyes tear up, and you don't think you are going to make it to the first cage. Your first impulse is to turn, and run right back out the door you came in.
I mean you are, almost ready to pass out from holding your breath so long, a person does has to breathe right?!?

Then you step to the first cage and see those sad eyes looking at you. He is so happy you are there. A great big boxer dog starts jumping up and down all excited. He is spinning all around in his cage, first one way , then he turns to the other way, showing me how cute he is. His excitement starts all the other dogs to barking..... "Look at me!" "Pet me!" "Come over to my cage!"

We go up and down the rows of dogs just petting them,
reading their charts on their cage to see if they are a stray, given up, adoptable, or already adopted.

We try and to decide what breed of dog this one is, what kind is that one? Being the expect dog identifiers that we are??

Noticing what they have to lay with on the cold, concrete floor. It was mostly just towels, some had small blankets. With the big dogs, the cold really didn't seem to bother them too much.
I mean after all they had big furry coats to help keep them toasty.
It was the smaller sized dogs, that would sit there and shake while they laid on their towel. It was cold in there. It was a cold day.

We also visited the cats who are in their cozy cat rooms, all nice and warm. They have a fish tank in their room and a radio to listen to. They are all just cute and fuzzy. Some of them come up to the cage and stick their paws out threw the cages for you to play. Some would meow at you and rub the cage with their heads for you to pet them. There are some really beautiful cats there. But, with that being said, I like cats, but I love dogs. I am just a dog person!

After about 40 minutes of playing with the cats and dogs, we are ready to leave. I am so proud of myself, I just went to the animal shelter and just looked at the dogs, and didn't HAVE to HAVE one.
See I can do it!!!!! I don't know why everyone is so afraid to go there, with me??? I don't always have to get one!!!!

I am now about 5 steps in front of Lisa, heading out the door and she says, "Look mom, there are more!" I turn around and I see her opening a wooden door that says puppy room......... We go in and what is the first thing I saw...........








I will be bringing him home tomorrow. Love You_Mean It!