Rescue A Pet

Four years ago I adopted my beagle/mutt Chloe from the Homeless Animal Rescue Team - or HART - here in Northern Virginia. But my dog family always felt incomplete to me. Being married put a cramp in that style since the only reason Chloe was even in our home because of me. If it had been up to HIM there would be nary a furry creature in our home. However, without all that baggage to weigh me down, I now have the freedom to complete my family the way I see fit.

So recently I adopted another dog, Champ, from HART. Champ is an 8 year old beagle/mutt that had been abused for years. Turns out he's as sweet as can be and doesn't hold any grudges for his foul treatment. I discovered that the rescue's shorthand for "likes to chew everything in sight" is "enjoys his chew toys." Champ has torn apart many slippers, magazines, bags, a box of cereal and numerous other things. But he is loving and just adorable. And to be honest, at the end of the day even after he's made a huge mess, I feel lucky to have him. The fate of dogs like this is not happy but I think Champ, and my family, got pretty lucky.

Now my family feels complete to me. Two kids, two dogs, one me!