Well we have added a new family member, who is named Payton.
Payton came from the Toronto Humane Society, but was originally from a shelter up north that ran out of room so ended up shipping him down to Toronto. We where not the first to view him or be interested in him, there had been others before us but once they heard his stats they had all turned him down for various reason of their own. One family who was interested in him had turned him down all because the THS had told them that he wasn’t house broken and that they would need to spend time doing that with him.
The mother told us she didn’t have that kind of time to put into him, at least she knew before hand that she wouldn’t have the time – but still its sad in its own regards, though the fact they chose a older dog likely is for the best over all as well. She was happy to see that Payton was getting adopted and actually going home that very same day.
At any rate, when we arrived we had organically wonted to see another dog that was in the shelter but upon learning of her issues and then actually going in to see her, we agreed she wouldn’t be the right match for us. The fact she needed a muzzle to leave her cage wasn’t a great idea and the look in her eyes when you come close to the cage just wasn’t good – at 7 months old that isn’t a good sign at all. After scratching her off our list we went in search of Payton, who was our second choice on the list.
Came into his area and he looked at us then walked away, came back and waged his tail and walked away again came back and curled up on his bed. he really didn’t show a low of interest in us, which was disappointing on various levels for me as i felt 0 connection to him, yet N felt a connection. I can honestly say nun of the pups in the shelter that day caught my attention in full, but I agreed that I’d give Payton a chance so a meeting was arranged to see him.
N filled out the paperwork, as he would be his dog. Then began the waiting period, in the time another came in who said that they where interested in Payton as well, they where told that someone was already scheduled to look at him that they could look at other dogs and wait to see if it was a go or not with him, they chose to stick around and wait but where not interested in any other dog what so ever.
Finally around 3pm (we’d been there since 11am) we where taken into a interview. We talked with the intake worker and she got a feel for us so to speak and our possible ability to handle Payton or any pup in the shelter for that matter (I assume). We told her why we where interested in Payton and why we where looking for a pup in the first place. She seemed a little surprised at why we where looking for a pup, but agreed that Payton had the best temperament for what we where looking for, though a few areas would need work (which we already knew about to degrees).
After the interview we where told to wait, in time we where told we’d be able to meet Payton and if the meeting went well she’d let us go for a walk, etc. The first meeting between us went well. Payton made a beeline for N tail wagging, he was interested in me but not as much as he was with N, which pleased N to no end. While N and Payton where getting to know each other I mostly touched Payton in areas that if he was going to be part of our family he’d have to be alright be with being handled (paws, tail, belly, ears, mouth/muzzle, etc) and he had 0 issues with any of it, which was good to see.
The shelter worker left us in the room alone with Payton as she went to hunt down something that she said she needed – I think she needed to see how we where interact with him without her around (I would be wrong though), soon enough she came back and we went for the walk. I handled him and oh ya he was a puller, not great but not unexpected since I know they don’t get as much walking or training while in the shelter. Then was N’s turn to walk him and he found him really strong to walk, much like his old pup shadow.
Got back into the shelter, and we where asked if we where still interested in him. We agreed that we where interested in him and that yes we would take him home there and there, no waiting period or cooling down period (to think about it). So she took him back to his kennel and started on the paper work. It was then that the other’s who had come in to adopt Payton where told that he had been adopted, they congratulated us and left.
Now the waiting began, I don’t know how long it was but it felt like a good hour plus. We talked to the vet tech about his surgery as he’d been fixed a week or something before so was still healing and was on medication since the incision they’d dun had minor complications. He was also on medication because he’d had louse BMs so was on medication for that, but the day we’d come in he’d had his first solid one so it was felt that he was on the mend.
Once all the paperwork was processed and the fee was paid he was brought to us and we left the shelter with our new family member.
On thing I was going to to was to have the car with us, as we’d only gone to look and not get we’d taken the TTC so that would have to be the way we where to get him home. I was worried about how we where going to do that since it was rush house and dogs on the TTC are a no no during this time period. But as it happened the first bus was full so we let it go as was the second, but the third the supervisor who was on it talking to the driver actually told us to get on, so we did.
Payton rode the bus without issue, we got off at Cowell and walked the rest of the way home. Stopped at Pizza Pizza to order dinner (since it was past 5pm it was though of as a good idea, plus their walk in special was within budget), then we walked over to shoppers so I could get my Insulin, then back to Pizza Pizza to pick up our order. All the while N was handling Payton and he was finding him a little handful to say the least.
We got home and immediately went into our backyard with Payton, that is where we introduced him to Dad. I sat down with Payton and N went up to our room to get things ready for him (we’d seriously not though things fully though about bring home a dog that day as our space was so NOT dog friendly at that point in time). During the wait I actually put my he’d on his flank and rested and he just fell asleep himself. In short order we took him inside and feed him.
For the first day he did rather well we do feel and are pleased to have him as part of our family.