I pretty much knew the moment I saw his face. It was the exact same feeling I’d had with Melvin. As I read his bio, diabetes, hypothyroidism, blind…I thought:   I. Can. Do.  This. It was two long weeks before I could verbally connect to an adoption coordinator. All the while I stalked their site to see if he’d been adopted.

The adoption coordinator assigned to my application, was also his foster mom.  We spoke for over an hour and the moment after we hung up, I ordered his bed.  I knew he was not mine (yet) but I felt very certain he was going to be.  Plus, what’s one extra dog bed? (Sidenote:  Melvin thinks both beds are his and he has been rotating them each night).

Between the time I spoke to the coordinator and the day we met, he had eye surgery.  I am pretty sure if I had known where the vet was, I would have ‘stopped by’. Modern medicine is pretty awesome, the surgery restored some vision in one eye! In the meantime, he developed an ear infection and got a rash on his neck from the cone.  He and Melvin may have been separated at birth.

I drove two hours to meet him (without Melvin, as there was no play for a week post surgery).  As I sat in my car,  I saw a woman round the corner walking a dog with a ginormous cone on his head. The sight of him made me happy. Two hours later, as I was leaving, I started making a mental list of all the things we’d need.  Number one was a baby gate, so that everyone could have their own space.

Melvin still has to meet him so although I am certain, it’s still not 100%.  If Melvin has taught me anything it’s that some dogs just don’t get along.  But, I think/hope it will work out. New dog’s surgery and his need to stay in foster care a little longer has given me time to think about the diabetes part. It is more than a little overwhelming.  I’ve been reading up on it all and know that the reality is, I will just have to learn most of it as it happens.  That has not stopped me from filling a notebook with notes, that at this moment, make no sense whatsoever.

Melvin’s perch as I assembled the gate (there was a lot of cursing, from me, not him).