OkcPets Magazine January 2022

January/February 2022 • OKC Pets 17 Finding That Special Someone We hit the six-week mark with our now bouncy, playful, adorable bunch. All tasks on the to-do list had been checked to date, with one big checkmark looming. De- termine which puppy would go to which home. So many people think they want a puppy, but careful screening would be required to make sure each prospective adopter was a good fit for a puppy and the specific traits of a growing Dalmatian. They are amazing dogs in the right homes, but no breed of dog is right for everyone, and it is a rescue’s job to get the matches right. And this is where I get to flip the camera around. I get to invite approved families to meet the puppies to see the “click” happen when that one puppy sighs with contentment in a special person’s arms. I get to bear witness to the moment when prospective owners get that first pup- py-breath-scented kiss on the nose, and they just know. This is the one. It’s the magical moment when a new chapter in life for both puppy and human has an introductory paragraph written. I love this moment. By the time I let someone come visit, it means I am certain that person will give one of our babies the best possible life. It means it’s almost time for the rescuers to step to the sidelines, always available to provide support, enjoy updates, applaud accomplishments. Peggy’s life will forever change for the better as well. She will never have to have puppies again. She was a great mom, but after years of litter after litter in less than ideal conditions, we will give her the retire- ment she so richly deserves. We made that promise to this sweet momma, who is safe with us until she melts into a new person’s arms. And then we’ll celebrate flipping the camera around once again as we watch someone fall in love with Peggy. I become incredibly sentimental as each foster dog leaves our home for a new be- ginning. I think of the amazing dogs who have profoundly touched my life, several of them at my feet as I write, and revel in the knowledge that our rescue gets to play a part in matchmaking new lifelong bonds for someone else. For a couple more weeks, we will stay on course cleaning up poop, washing blankets and bowls, and watching clumsy babies learn to play. We will thoroughly enjoy the “job” of teaching the puppies how to be gentle with those little shark teeth, how to snuggle, how to be brave in their rapidly changing worlds. As 2021 winds down, the puppies will be ready for new adventures. One by one, our work with this Dalmatian family will end, and we’ll pass the torch. New families will have messes to clean, puppy antics to laugh at, training classes to attend, cozy naps to enjoy. They’ll have chilly morning potty outings. Toys everywhere. A million photos on their phones. A lifetime of love, challenges, and fun will bloom from that first little hello. That mental image is the very best part of our job as rescuers. Soon our home will be a little emptier as other hearts open and fill to the brim. We will take first photos of excited new faces hugging their precious puppies close. How fitting that these babies will start their journeys in the hopeful glow of the new year. With our focus forward, I think 2022 is going to be a great year … six times over. Veterans & Dog Lovers CHRIS BAXTER Above All Insurance 3632 NW 21st St, OKC (405) 326-5040 Chris@WeInsureOK.com weinsureok.com KARA BOWES KBB Real Estate 714 S. Dewey, OKC (405) 361-4079 Kara@KaraBowes.com karabowes.com Where Every Animal is Free to Live ADOPT VOLUNTEER GIVE 405.282.8617 FreetoLiveOK.org FreetoLiveOK 405-376-4292 | By Appointment Only 107 S. Castle Rock Lane | Mustang, OK thechisolmtails@gmail.com