"Peace in ourselves, peace in the world."

Today was a day filled with both happiness and sadness.  As I drove to the K9 Justice League adoption event, I thought about how much I'd miss Lars when he's finally adopted.  Letting your foster dog go is a funny kind of thing.  Your heart feels so many emotions when the day finally comes.  You're sad because you're losing a dog that you've let into your heart for however long.  You're happy because you helped save that dog's life.  You gave that dog a home and the environment he or she needed to have a chance.  YOU made a difference.  What closes the deal for me - what makes letting these dogs go bearable - is the thought that I'll be able to let another dog into my home that needs just as much help as the one before.  All emotions aside, though, the event went well, and Lars had a lot of people interested him - some that fit... and some that simply didn't.  Lars had a good day and seemed to enjoy all of the attention!  How can you NOT love a handsome boy like Lars?!  I'm shocked that he hasn't been adopted yet... simply because Lars is my "dream dog".  Like the rest of you, I can't adopt another dog.  My house is full... and fostering is important to me.  If I could, Lars would have a home with me in a millisecond!  So... I just have to keep holding out for that 'perfect home' for my Brindle Boy Wonder.  Giving him up WILL be hard.  He doesn't make it easy.  Lars is all about snuggling and looking cute!  He's pretty damn hard to resist.

The other kids were excited to see Lars when I got home... but the poor bugger was so tired that he immediately decided to take a nap.  After everyone got their sillies out (excluding Lars), I decided it was about time for Lyla to have a bath since I had some extra time.  She's all about getting dirty!  Lyla likes sunbathing as much as Jackson does.  Maybe even more!  She heads outside and plops herself down in the dirt without a care in the world.  Lyla - well - she's crazy.  She's a Pit/Lab mix with a lot of energy and attitude... though friendly as all with other dogs... and even cats!  She's just hard-headed.  Anyway, it was time to give the princess a bath.  I placed her in the tub, wet her down, shampooed her, and rinsed her off.  Throughout this entire process, Lyla stood like a statue and cooperated for her bath.  After the bath was over... it was time for the blow-dry... which she also showed no resistance to.  It was then that I started to get all emotional and mommy-like.  That was just the beginning.  While Lyla is still wild and obnoxious... I wondered where the heck my insane dog went.  Whether she was flailing around and growling about having her nails trimmed or jumping through the screen to join the neighbor's party at midnight... I just couldn't believe that my little girl was finally starting to grow up.  I was planning on saving an entry like this for Lyla's first birthday... but it seems to have happened a little sooner.



When did my 4-week-old foster puppy become an adult?!  I remember falling in love with her so clearly.  Brody was a year old... plus some.  I had gone through hell with that dog.  The last thing I wanted was another puppy.  But then this little Pit mix puppy came into my life.  She was adorable, loved Brody, Jackson tolerated her, and I found myself spending a lot more time with her than her two sisters.  I loved them all... but there was something about this little lady that drew me to her.  I couldn't imagine letting her go.  I racked my brain over and over and over again.  Can I afford another dog?  Do I really want to go through puppy hood again?  What the heck am I thinking?!  But I truly loved her... and I couldn't imagine separating Lyla from Brody.  So I adopted yet another dog... and strapped myself down to deal with puppy hood again.  Honestly... it was crazy all over again.  I took some time off from fostering to deal with integrating my senior dog, less than two-year-old GSD mix, and my brand new Pit/Lab puppy.  Everything went well... because I believe that these dogs were all meant to be together.  It wasn't terribly long before I was fostering again.  I'm glad that Lyla grew up like that, too, because she was exposed to a lot of different dogs throughout her maturation.  Now... no dog is a stranger.  She loves everyone!

In the midst of my emotionally strange day, I turned the television to a channel in which Marley and Me was on!  That's NEVER a good idea.  I cried through the book.  The movie?  Even more traumatizing!  I was already all teary-eyed about my Lyla growing up... when I started to think about Jackson as I was watching the movie.  I really should have just turned it off!  Jackson is about 8-years-old - as best as we can estimate.  Jackson was the first dog that was really mine.  I rescued him and restored his health.  He was the first dog that I really saved.  When I say that I'll need to be institutionalized when Jackson goes, I'm not lying!  Don't get me started on how I feel while watching Marley and Me.  It involves bawling, hyperventilating, and clutching my hands over my heart - because the thought of losing one of my babies hurts that much - and it's inevitable when your dogs start to get older... or even if some terrible accident happens.  Either way, it's hard to lose these little four-legged friends.

So what's there to say after my night of tears?  Other than the ones who comforted me were my dogs.  My dogs and my foster dogs both sprung into action and licked my tears away.  Seriously... watching Marley and Me had me bawling like a baby!

Anyway, enough of that.  On a more positive note, I'm very happy to say that I met a lot of pro-Pit folks today... including a 69-year-old woman who had a Pit already... and recently adopted one from AC.  Today gave me hope.  I cringe when I have to say a dog is a Pit or a Pit mix... because seeing THAT look - the look that you get from people who don't know anything about the breed - is kind of hard for me to deal with... simply because I just don't get it.  However, I did meet a lot of people who didn't shy away from the word "Pit Bull" today... and that's more than I could ask for.  I only hope that people continue to educate themselves about the breed and spread the love rather than the hate!