Maggie May's Story

I was sorting, packing, cleaning, stressing, and going insane trying to prepare for and move 750 miles away to a new state. Life was as busy and stressful as it could possibly be...


and then, I received a phone call from my dad's girlfriend (I called her 'Mama' - that's another story for another day).

When I answered the phone, I heard, "Misty, there's a lady here telling me that she needs to find a home for a 10 week old puppy and..."

I interrupted, "No way! There's absolutely no way I could be working with and training a puppy right now! I'm packing and sorting, and then there's the 750 mile drive. I just can't do it! So... ummmm... what kind of puppy is it?"

Mama excitedly replied, "But Misty! It's a Border Collie puppy, and she has to find it a new home! Otherwise, I don't know what she's going to do with it. Your dad and I can babysit if you have errands you need to do while preparing for the move. And, we'll find a crate for the puppy to travel in." (Is she good or what? Does she know how to get to me, or what?)

Border Collie puppy... needs new home... 10 weeks old... No - no - no I can't do it... just can't! I came up with all kinds of excuses and she shot them all down. (Yeah Mama, you're smooth)

I said one final - I just don't think I could do it right now, before hanging up the phone, because Mama had to get back to work.

I told Hubs about it, and laughed, "Yeah, like I need a puppy right now with everything else going on! I wonder what it looks like though... I wonder why she's getting rid of a 10-week old innocent puppy..."

About that time, I noticed Hubs looking at me with that all-knowing and amused grin, "It's killing you, isn't it Misty? You want to go running and grab that puppy right up, don't you? Misty can't resist or turn down a dog, especially a dog in need."

"No!" I defended my abilities to stay strong, "No, I told her I couldn't do it. I don't want a puppy right now. I'd be crazy to get a puppy right now. I was simply just wondering about the details, that's all."
The rest of the day, I continued to wonder. So, I called Mama...

"OK, I HAVE to know why this lady is getting rid of a 10 week old puppy! I mean, she couldn't have had it long... what? About two weeks? Why is she getting rid of it? I must know."

Mama laughed, "I knew you'd call back."

"Oh yeah, just hush... so tell me why."

"Because she has a two year old toddler, and when the toddler pulls on the puppy's tail or hair, the puppy pulls the toddlers hair. So, she doesn't think it's fair to keep screaming at the puppy and the toddler all the time. So, she has to get rid of the puppy."

Me - "I have to go." Could not hear anymore... that would cause me to... NO - I did NOT need a puppy.

Hours passed and Hubs and I were watching TV, when I heard a truck pull in our drive. I instantly knew who it was (that sneaky little Mama!). I ran outside in my purple-fuzzy slippers and ran to the truck to hug my daddy. On the truck seat, between my dad and Mama, was this little black and white (and absolutely adorable) fur-ball. Seriously, that's what it was... a furball... with the cutest little face ever...

Yeah, not only did I totally melt, but so did Hubs.

My dad just kept repeating, "I told her not to bring that puppy home. I told her that you had too much going on. I told her that she shouldn't bring it home... And then, she brought it home, and I looked at that face, and
I said - Oh man, Misty will never be able to resist this!"

Well seriously - who could??? The face... the soft puppy fuzz... the sweet puppy breath... the little puppy kisses... one ear standing up and the other one down. Yeah, that puppy totally knew she was cute - and she knew how to use it.

Needless to say, Maggie May found her forever-family that day… complete with Mommy, Daddy, her big brother Tag, and her big sister (whom she still looks up to and learns from) Molly. She turned five years old in February. Our family wouldn’t be complete without her!

This post written in partnership with Dog Fence DIY and their team of dog containment system specialists. The DIY team seeks to engage dog owners and promote positive and safe dog safety practices.