Lost and Found!

I first met Charlie a little over a year ago. He was on a leash tied to the front door of the building where I work. Upon entering the building, I was informed that he was found by a co-worker and fellow dog lover, running loose on a busy street in town. He had no collar and no identification of any kind. I thought the poor little guy must have slipped out of his collar and gotten lost. My co-worker approached me and knowing that I am a dog lover suggested that I take him. Yes, I am a dog lover and have had my share of dogs in the past, but my wife and I were enjoying the freedom from such a responsibility and my first reaction was NO WAY! Not to mention the fact that he probably belonged to someone and we needed to make an effort to find his home. My co-worker ended up taking him to the local animal shelter that afternoon where he, if not claimed, would be put up for adoption. Keep in mind that, at this point, I did not even know what kind of dog he was as I was totally unfamiliar with this breed. Later that afternoon, I was at home and feeling quite guilty about the fate of the little guy so I decided to call the shelter and check on his status. The person I spoke to at the shelter informed me that he was a pure breed Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and would probably be claimed by his owner as these are expensive dogs and very rarely just abandoned. My anxiety was lessened further when she told me I would be number four on the adoption list. Feeling the weight of guilt lifted, and relishing the thought of my continued freedom from dog responsibility, I called my co-worker to tell her of my heroic attempt to save the little guy from the unthinkable. She promptly told me that when she dropped him off, she put her name on the list to adopt him, thus she was number one! And being the new owner of a Westie puppy herself, she did this only to protect him just in case no one claimed or adopted him. Therefore, if he was not claimed by his owners, he would be mine! It was about this time, that I thought it would be a good idea to let my wife in on this little possible change in lifestyle. It did not go over well. New carpets, late night walks in the cold rain and snow, new furniture, travel plans – all of these things would be negatively impacted by this little devil. I assured her that I had checked out this breed and learned that they were easy to train and wonderful companion dogs with great personalities. She was not impressed. The next day, we put up signs indicating that we had found the little guy with instructions indicating how to get him back. We called all the vets in the area in case anyone was looking for him. I also called the pound; no one had claimed him. Three more days and I would have another mouth to feed and walk and everything else that goes with this commitment, not to mention a very unhappy wife. Day two, he was still at the pound; day three, no response to our attempts to locate the owner; he remained in captivity. Day four, time was running out. Day five, he was ours. We were told by the vet at the shelter that she thought he was between a year and two years old, very healthy and a rarity in that they had never had a Cavalier adopted before. A few lost ones were brought in, but the owners quickly claimed them. This guy was a mystery. Was there something wrong with him? Was he a vicious attack dog disguised in this cute little body? Fortunately, this story has a very happy ending and after a very short period of adjustment, the carpets are still new, late night walks are painless (even in the rain and snow) the furniture remains unscathed and travel plans are still fulfilled. Most of all, my wife and I are the proud parents of a loveable, funny, affectionate family member who has enriched our lives in ways we now can not imagine living without. Still, the mystery remains. What kind of heartless individual could have let this dog loose on a busy street; left to have potentially horrible things happen to him? I guess it doesn’t matter now. He is happy and safe and so are we.