Alright, Coop. This is getting ridiculous. One year ago today, Oscar and I sprung out from the shelter. For one full year now, you’ve taken up residence at Foster House. Twelve months. 52 weeks. 365 days. A year, Cooper? Really?
I love you to bits and pieces, but really kid – ya gots ta GO! And I say that with love, I really do. I will adore you forever, and you will always be in my heart, you know that. But seriously, you’re being a little selfish. There are other dogs out there who need us, other dogs who we haven’t been able to help because you are occupying a very valuable spot in our house – the “foster spot.” I know, we experimented a couple of times with being a three-dog household. While I admire folks who can handle a life where the dogs outnumber the humans, quite frankly – that ain’t us.
I blame myself, really. We’ve made it way too easy for you to settle in here and set up shop in our hearts (…and on our couch, and in our bed…) You got comfortable. We got comfortable. Oscar got comfortable. Shoot, if I were you, I wouldn’t want to leave either!
It’s hard not to get frustrated with the lack of interest we’ve had in you. Sometimes it seems like we’ve done it all – obedience training, agility classes, campaigns and public exposure…what are we missing here?? The problem is that I know exactly what the problem is. You’re not “easily adoptable.” We can’t honestly answer “yes” to any of the typical questions that people ask about you when they’re looking to add a dog to their family: “Is he good with kids? Is he good with other dogs? Is he good with cats?” Unfortunately the short answer to each of these questions is “no.”
However, there’s so much more to you than just a short answer. I don’t like to make blanket statements about any dogs…
“Labs are good family dogs.”
“Boxers are athletic.”
“Rottweilers are loyal.”
While these statements might be true of some Labs, some Boxers, and some Rottweilers, it isn’t true of all of them. Dogs are individuals, and painting them with broad strokes does them a disservice. Just like making generalizations about you, Cooper, does you disservice. So the problem is that if someone is interested in adopting you, unless they read back through all 95 posts I’ve written about you in the past year, all they hear is the short answer to the questions they ask.
Cooper my boy, I am not even close to giving up on you. Someday, someone is going to fall so in love with you that they’re going to want to hear the long answers to their questions. That will be the right Person for you. And I will not rest until I find that person…your Person.
If you are Cooper’s Person, please fill out an adoption application with Agape Animal Rescue.
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