“Apparently, mom became the third wheel when Rusty moved in”
When you go to the animal shelter, you have big dreams about what your life will be like with your new dog. You envision all the fun times you’ll share. And, you start planning all your amazing adventures.
You know it might take a while for your new dog to bond with you after being in a shelter. After all, you don’t know what the dog has been through or what quirks they might have. What you probably don’t expect is to be left behind because your dog falls hard for your spouse and leaves you in the dust.
Laura and her husband adopted Rusty from an animal shelter after recently losing their German shepherd. A friend of theirs, who volunteered at the Miami-Dade Animal Services, sent them a picture of Rusty so they decided to go meet him.
When the couple saw Rusty for the first time, he immediately reminded them of the shepherd they lost, both dogs had silly, floppy ears, too. It was at that moment, that they knew they had to adopt the adorable dog.
At the adoption, they learned a few concerning things about Rusty. They found out that Rusty had spent some time as a stray living on the streets. He was scared of cars. They were also warned he wasn’t friendly with other dogs. But, rather than discourage them, the news made them want Rusty even more. They felt, “if not us, who?”
So, they took Rusty home and began to work through his challenges. It took some time but one-day things just clicked and Rusty bonded closely with Laura’s husband. The two were soon inseparable and were often found cuddled up in each other’s arms.
Rusty is all about his daddy and so far, loves him best. Laura feels like the third wheel at times and wishes he loved her as much as he loves his dad. Rusty and his dad even have a special bedtime, which has helped him adjust.
But Laura wants her cuddle time too. She’d like Rusty to snuggle with her in bed, cuddle up on the couch, and even sit on her lap as he does with his dad but so far, dad is the moon in Rusty’s sky.
Despite the warning from the shelter, Rusty gets along well with their other dog and two cats living in the house. He’s a happy boy now thanks to a loving family who gave him a chance. He’s very protective but still can’t catch his ball.
His rescue story is more than sweet. We hope he spends some cuddle time with mom, too. We hope you enjoyed this beautiful story about second chances and how much joy one family can share with a rescue dog. As always, please feel free to share with your friends.