In the months after Sadie died, I followed a bunch of dog rescue organizations. Luke, my other dog, has always been part of a pair. He was surrendered to our local SPCA along with a twin sister before I brought him home and then he spent a decade plus with Sadie. He needed a dog, I figured. He needed a buddy.
I looked hard for a lady husky mix for him, like Sadie was. But, I realized, what I really wanted was Sadie, and that’s not how this works. Looking at other husky girls felt like I was trying to replace her, as if such a thing were even possible, so I stopped focusing on the huskies, started expanding my horizons and then, in early January, I saw Claude.
Claude was with a rescue organization about an hour from me in Richmond, up in Fredericksburg. I thought he looked like a very good dog, but just as I’d done for months, I decided it wasn’t the right time. Still, I kept checking the website to see if Claude was still there, if he was still available. And, time after time, he was. Then, last week, the rescue posted about him on Facebook. It was the first thing I saw when I logged in that morning. He was still there, they said, still waiting for his forever home. So, I put in an application, which was quickly accepted, and then I brought Claude home.
We did a one-week trial, just to see if it was a good fit. And it was.
Claude definitely pushes the limits of Luke’s patience, but still, Luke has seemed perkier I’ve seen him in a long time. He even played with a toy the other night, which is a thing he’s not done in maybe a year. Eddie, the kitten, seems to really love Claude and at night, I sleep sandwiched between the two. Bitty, my meaner, older cat, has spent the week extra angry, but she’s been mad since 2016, so really, it’s nothing new.
Claude is some sort of blue heeler/cattle dog mix. He’s got one ice blue eye and one brown eye with a little starburst of blue in it. He likes naps and snuggling on the couch, encouraging Luke to play with him, wooing when he’s excited and investigating everything the cats get into. He got a very good sense of humor, has a super raspy bark and seems to be adjusting well. He is a very good boy.
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