The dog that Mookie sent

We still remember that day in March 2008 when Matt Hales showed up at the deli with a tiny puppy in a little puppy bed. He explained that he was trying to find a home for this mixed breed baby. He had adopted her sister, and he was trying to place her sibling(s).

In much the same way that Pharoah's daughter rescued the Baby Moses floating down the Nile River in a basket, we took Mookie in her little puppy bed and loved her up. Up until she got very sick years later and left us. Today I was rummaging through stuff in Wayne's trunk and came upon this:

The last collar and tags that Mookie was wearing on that day last May when we sat on the floor with her and she fell into that deep sleep. 

And once Mookie was gone it seemed like Facebook exploded with pictures of sweet dogs that were in need of a home. But since we had just loved and lost our dog, we were not eager to jump into a new relationship with a furiend who we knew would eventually break our hearts again.

Then this happened.

On the second Monday of this past December, our dear neighbor over on Broadway, Danny Spear, walked toward Wayne with a little brown and white puppy in a little puppy bed. "Someone threw her away in Brackenridge Park," he said. Then he explained that because he already had three or four rescue dogs he just couldn't keep her, and that if we didn't take her he would have to "call someone."

We took that puppy and started making plans. Truth be told, we already had our next dog's name picked out. Her name would be Putsy, and it seemed to fit perfectly on this little bundle of furry joy. Our first stop on the rescue trail was Green Dog Kennels. Lola and Andrew are the patron saints of dogs, and we went over to their place on Josephine Street to share our excitement and to get their blessing. Once that was done we headed  to a veterinary clinic for a general inspection and a starter set of shots.

Then came all the puppy cuteness and multiple Putsy picture postings on Facebook. It was in response to one of those sweet snapshots that our friend Lynne Perry made the kindest deal-sealing observation. She said that this was the dog that Mookie sent to us. And at times it seems like maybe Mookie DID send Putsy to us.

We're enjoying the new dog. She is not Mookie. But she is Putsy. And she has a lot to teach us.  And we 're ready. Just as soon as she's through teething.