I’m getting a new dog and I’m terrified

Of course, I’ve never had children, so that might be part of it

Photo by FLOUFFY on Unsplash

I love animals. I always have. When I was a kid I begged my parents for a dog but never got one. Years later I adopted my first dog, a one year old Rough Collie rescued from the Humane Society. I later got a German Shepherd to keep us company. We hiked all over the Appalachians and the Dunes near Lake Michigan.

After I got married, we adopted a feral cat. Snoopy was amazing. Brilliant, beautiful and loving. But she would not countenance another creature sharing her space. So, no dogs for a while. Alas, Snoopy died in 2014 at the age of 20. It was too soon.

I mourned for a year before I adopted Annie from a Collie rescue organization. She was already 10 years old and had led a hard life. She’d been used in dog fights. There were scars all over her body. Yet she was incredibly gentle and patient. The neighborhood kids loved on her. She passed away last year and I still have people ask about her.

Now I am finally ready for another dog. This time I’m getting a puppy. And that terrifies me.

I decided I needed to get a young dog this time around because I need more time with him. My heart needs time to heal from the string of losses I’ve endured in the last few years. Not just…