How Molly’s People Found Her

I always love hearing the background events that lead up to how our wonderful adopters end up finding our amazing dogs.  Caitlin sent me this beautiful story about how she, Dale & Ziggy came to add Molly Tamale to their family.  Enjoy!

Some three and a half years ago, I was a single woman about to take the giant leap of buying my first house. Having endured a seemingly endless procession of ill-matched roommates, I was determined to live alone once and for all. Well, almost alone. I needed a trusty sidekick, someone who had my back at all times and who would perk his ears to the predators of the night who might be stalking me. Yes, I needed a dog. And so I googled and googled until I came across Agape pet rescue and found the man of my dreams, Ziggy.

Together we lived for the next two years, when the economy tanked and so did my income. Sadly, we gave up the house and packed our bags and loaded up in the Prius across country, moving back to my home town of Sonoma. Ziggy had west coast adventures, including playing in the San Francisco bay on a dog beach full of kindred souls, hiking off leash with my friend’s dog in the mountains of Oregon, and being the hero of the local dog park when he stole the frou-frou poodle’s ball and teased that doggie’s mother with it until she huffed out of the park. But our west coast days left us feeling lonely, and we decided to take the sojourn back to Nashville to try our luck here once again. We were happy together, but as the years wore on, we yearned for a more complete family.

Then we met Dale. Dale had puppy-dog eyes with an obvious crush on me he didn’t bother to hide. He followed me around with such sweetness, I couldn’t resist asking him after a night of cocktails, “Hey, you wanna be my boyfriend?” “Yes.” It didn’t take long until he was ready to meet Ziggy, and from that moment on, I was no longer Ziggy’s favorite, but a close second to the Daddy he always wanted and finally found. I understood, no offense, Ziggs; you needed a man in your life. Turns out, so did I. So the three of us spent the next year getting used to each other and becoming a family.

In December of 2011, Dale and I got it together and bought a house with a big back yard, fenced in. Ziggy needs his freedom, you see. As we prepared for the move, the question wasn’t whether we should get another dog, but what kind would make the most sense in our little family. Dale loves Ziggy, but wanted a dog that is a bit bigger and tougher looking. Ziggy is a bit new-wave with his crazy Mom-cut-my-hair again looks. We hit the internet in search of a baby, and when we found Molly Tamale, we knew we found the right dog for us. This was cemented upon meeting her in Centennial Park, where she pulled on the leash and won our hearts.

Watching Molly in the park revealed how alert yet calm she is. She seemed to be on the constant look out, protecting her foster parents from any evil that might lurk in the shadows of the Parthenon. She also wants to chase squirrels, which is a very important trait. Ziggy was ecstatic to play with her, although she wasn’t really in the mood with so much protecting to do. So she came to our house a few nights later, and after sniffing every inch and making sure there weren’t any bombs hidden in the corners, she was able to relax and play with Ziggy. There wasn’t a single growl or jealous whine. Then both dogs sat on Dale’s lap and declared him captain of the family. I could have felt jealous, but when you know those two little doggie souls were both abandoned to rescue care, you can only feel joy at seeing them bond to a human so intimately. I can accept my role as close second with no hard feelings. I kind of like Dale, too, so I understand.

Now we’re waiting ONE MORE DAY before Molly Tamale comes home to us. Actually, we’re waiting 11 hours and 11 minutes as of this moment. Not that anyone’s counting!

We’re so appreciative of all that Agape, Laura, Dave, and Pam have done to help us complete our family. Many pictures to come!

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