And along came Bruno...

Here is our big bow wow Bruno! I just adopted him this past Tuesday, May 12th. From the SPCA in Sacramento, CA. (sidenote: Adopting is such a rewarding experience, I recommend adopting verses buying pets any day! When pets are bought from pet stores, they are most likely breed in mills. So, by buying that animal, you are creating a demand for that "product"...forcing more dogs to suffer horrible conditions in Puppy mills.) Back to the story!! Bruno, this 10 month old Black Lab/German Shepherd Mix weighed in at 77.6 pounds today at the vet!!!! He has a beautiful spirit, and is such a quick learner!!! In just these past few days, he has learned to respond to his new name (he was called "Ben") , to sit, lay down, wait, (still working on "come")...and plenty more. He is amazing!! Mason was away on business, so I brought him home by myself for this week. The first time they met, Mason just fell in love with Bruno. He is perfect for us! Genesis, our 8 month old Tortoiseshell Calico Cat is a little Jealous of the attention we give Bruno, but she has already started coming around...well, at least out from the shadows! I can't wait for tonight, at 8pm...his first dog training meeting!! PETCO, in Roseville, CA--the one off of Douglas Blvd.--- has been a lifesaver. They are so knowledgeable, and helpful.

So... back to the beginning of how I came to find Bruno...
Mason and I had come to the conclusion to foster a dog..maybe 1-2 weeks at a time. No big commitment, but tons of fun, right?!! Well, the friendly people at S.I.A.R. (Sac. Indep. Animal Rescuers) never got back to me...So, I figured I'd go to the local SPCA's and see if there is a dog we could foster. Well, I got so caught up in looking for a dog, that I totally forgot to ask if I could be a foster parent...hehehe... so I went to 3 different SPCA's locally. I must have seen over 100 dogs, of all shapes, sizes, and dispositions. Some barked at the fenced door, some slept at the back of the cage, and others, like Bruno...sat upright quietly, wagging their tails as people walked by. Such a sad sight, I knew when I saw Bruno, the seach was over. I couldn't bear the thought of anyone taking him home, but us. Just to ease my mind, I went to one more selter nearby to see if there was a better match for us...knowing full well there wasn't...then I raced back to adopt Bruno. He was so happy to be played with, ...but very skitzo with all the growling and barking dogs. When I left, one of the SPCA officers told me he is a dominate dog, and needs training. Well, no duh! He is PUPPY!!! :) the way he gallops, all clumsy-like and carefree, with all that extra skin...his massive size didn't stump me. He is very much so a puppy. They told me he was abondoned, and the family listed on Bruno's microchip said they had sold him...but the contact info they gave was a fake number. I'm guessing they didn't want the fines from abandoning your puppy on the side of a major city's (Sacramento) street intersection. This boy just needs some love and playful friends! :) So, I had to almost kill myself picking him up to get him in the car (very scared dog)...then again to get him up the stairs to our apt. (yup, that almost killed me.) But since then, I've taken him to the lake twice, to three different parks, and on countless walks. His training is getting better and better the more he is learning to trust that I won't leave him. I promise to post better pictures of his lovely big face, once I find the cord to my camera...these pictures are from my phone. God sure had a plan for this big boy, ...to be a part of our family.