I don’t know that I believe in love at first sight, but I’m absolutely certain we can feel a special connection with particular people and animals. With every bone in our body, we sense we’re meant to be together in some form or another. These are three stories of such connections and how the individuals knew their dog-to-be was “the one.”
1. Janine and Moxie
Janine, our lovely editor-in-chief at Catster and Dogster, says she knew Moxie was “the one” before she ever even met him. On her search for a responsible, legitimate Italian Greyhound breeder, she repeatedly ran into roadblocks. Janine says, “When my final lead led me to Moxie’s breeder, Kim, I had a good gut feeling, even if I didn’t have the full picture.” Kim lived a three-hour drive away and, although she wasn’t computer-savvy enough to send photos of Moxie, assured Janine she must meet him. Even though her partner wasn’t so sure about the whole situation, Janine trusted Kim, who’d shown and judged dogs for some time. And she couldn’t shake the feeling that she should follow the lead.
After agreeing on the drive to meet a dog they had never seen, Janine and her partner bought the suggested supplies and hit the road. When they arrived at Kim’s home, they met the entire litter of Italian Greyhound puppies: three girls and one boy who was noticeably taller than the others. Kim explained that Moxie was the only one available because he was simply too tall for the show ring. Janine says, “He was beautiful, affectionate, and wiggly, and he came and sat on my lap and kissed my face.” Although they left Kim’s and made their way to see another Italian Greyhound they’d scheduled to visit, they already knew they’d be taking Moxie home with them. “It’s been four years since that day, and we wouldn’t trade him for anything.”
2. Deana and Dessa
Deana was heartbroken after she lost Kairos, a gorgeous black Bouvier des Flandres, to an undetermined disease. Even after five months of extensive testing and a plethora of medications, veterinarians could not indentify the cause of the illness. “My family and I watched this beautiful, powerful, loving, fun, and protective creature wither away to a dog who slept all day and night, his beautiful coat gone and replaced with a thick, scabby rash, and barely able to get up and down. When he passed, my heart was broken beyond compare.”
Four months later, Deana and her daughter found themselves at the local humane society. There were about 10 dogs she would have taken home that day. Deana says she didn’t even have a type. “I guess that’s not entirely true; they must be smart, cute, loving, playful, protective, and funny. I was looking for Kairos.”
Sitting in the last kennel was a 7-month-old Labrador Retriever named Digit. Deana was instantly smitten — there was just something about that dog. A volunteer was getting ready to take Digit for a walk and asked if she and her daughter wanted to play with the dog. She leaned over to pet Digit and was taken by his soft and silky coat — it reminded her of the gorgeous coat Kairos once wore. The dog tried to jump on them, and Deana firmly told him, “down!” He obediently sat down, and Deana smiled at the obvious intelligence in his eyes.
She could feel her heart repeatedly pounding and then softening, but she still found herself struggling with bringing home a new dog so soon after Kairos’ passing. As she and her daughter walked away from the humane society, Deana looked toward the sky, noticing the muted salmon-colored sun about to descend. “I felt the energy of Kairos come into my heart, urging me on. As I searched the sky, tears began to roll down my face, and I took a big breath and sighed,” she says. She wondered if she should walk away from this dog with whom she felt such a strong connection. Deana says, “In the end, my heart won. The whole family came back the next day to spend time with Digit, whom we adopted, discovered was female, and renamed Dessa. And as I hugged Dessa, I sensed Kairos’ energy letting me know it was more than OK. It was right, it was good, and it was time.”
2. Mel and QQ
Mel met Quincy (Q, QQ, Qster, Mr, Q), a Welsh Terrier, just five weeks after her first Welshie, a rescue named Max, had passed. Her intention was to complete a two-year program for addiction counseling before adopting another dog, but her heart ached for the companionship Max once provided, so Mel began the search for a new Welshie.
Her searches in Minnesota proved unsuccessful, but then she learned of a 9-month-old in Michigan who’d been returned to the breeder after just one month. The reason? His teeth came in with an underbite that disqualified him from being shown. Mel knew she had to meet this dog, so she and her friend set off on a road trip.
When they arrived in Michigan, the breeder told Mel a little more about the dog they’d named Cooper, and then she opened the door to the room where he’d been waiting. Mel says, “She opened the door and out he leapt — I mean like a bunny leaping! This darling Welsh Terrier had more energy than I had ever seen. He leapt right into my heart. I picked him up, and it was signed, sealed, and delivered.”
Mel knew Cooper just wasn’t the right name for this bouncy fellow. On their drive back to Minnesota, they passed through the town of Quincy, Michigan. “I looked at my friend and told her I thought Quincy would make a great name for him. And I knew Quincy Jones’ nickname was “Q,” so I decided that would be Quincy’s name too. He’s now 8 1/2 years old and still bounces like a rabbit around the house and can leap from a standing position to the bed. He is and always will be my QQ.”
How did you know your dog was “the one?” Tell us about it in the comments!
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