This is Paige. We discovered her about 2 weeks ago. Last Tuesday night, Mike and I decided to do something crazy and see if she was still listed on the site where we found her. Sure enough, there she was, looking like she was meant to be Pete's sister. We drove all the way to Gonzales, Tx (I didn't even know it existed before we found her) which was about an hour and a half from Cedar Park. It was a pretty interesting drive, because it was a part of the hill country I've never been to before (at least I can't recollect having been there before... you just never know though what with government conspiracies and whatnot) We drove through a town called Lockhart which I've heard mentioned many a time on the news, particularly when they discuss the weather, but they failed to mention that barbecue joints are abounding there. Had we known this, we would have planned for it (i.e. not eating before leaving) Also, I saw a sign on a drive through car wash, next to a gas station, that said 'Now Hiring.' Does anyone else see the irony in that? A single, drive through car wash, that seems to have not much to it other than the part you drive through and all of the mechanisms for cleaning your car. But just so everyone knows, they're hiring.
We got to Gonzales and we met Paige. Paige was filthy. Now, the shelter is no kill and they have done the best they can to take care of all of their animals, despite the fact that they're running WAY over capacity. Paige had been there for a year, and like other black dogs and cats, she had just been looked over time and time again. We took her for a little walk, it lasted about a minute, and I was thinking 'Why are we doing this? We're taking her home anyways.' Mike and I just smiled at each other and agreed that we were taking her home that very moment. So we did. We put on her new pink collar and pink leash (I picked them!), they took a picture of the 3 of us, and we were on our way.
It became apparent after she peed on the floor the first time (first of 3) that she was not as prepared as we thought she would be. It didn't help that we are in a second floor apartment and she was terrified of the stairs, so anytime she went potty, we had to carry her back up the stairs (she was okay going down) We began to realize she doesn't know how to sit, how to 'leave it,' how to not claw at the couch like it's a patch of dirt for digging. At this point, Mike was on his computer looking for schools and trainers. We will be starting ASAP. Things have improved a bit in the past 24 hours. She is more comfortable with us and can go up the stairs on her own! That was like Christmas, this morning, when she did that!! (IS it Christmas yet??) She just kind of keeps walking around and sniffing everything and looking like 'What is all of this space?' Every sound makes her jump or jerk her head around. With the exception of dogs barking in the complex. She has been living in a kennel with 2 other dogs so I'm sure all of the sights, sounds, and smells are totally bizarre to her.
This will definitely be a learning experience for everyone involved. Including Pete. Poor Pete. He's torn between playing with her and looking at her like 'Why are you still here?' This will be interesting to see played out :)