Finding Zoey

“you guys are crazy!” we hear that a lot. Since my husband Aaron and I met in 2008, we have done many impulsive things. Our latest big idea was a cross-country road trip from New York to California and back. We were packing up the minivan, our four daughters, and our sense of adventure for a summer on the road. We loosely based our trip around long-lost friends and national parks. We could not wait to show the girls the amazing Grand Canyon, Carlsbad caverns, the California desert, and the ancient wonder of the redwood forest. What we were not expecting was finding a new love along the way, a new family member to explore with us.

We made our way out west and entered New Mexico, the land of enchantment. After an amazing stop at Carlsbad caverns, we headed to Deming New Mexico to see my mom. Deming is a small town in the southern part of the state. We spent the day exploring the town, catching up with my mom, and loving on her rescue dog. I had heard that there was an animal shelter in town and asked my mom about it. She told me that the local shelter was struggling. They had so many stray animals in need of homes that they were constantly overrun. Something in me began to stir. I wanted to go to the shelter. My ten-year-old daughter had been asking for a dog of her own, and this might be the perfect place to find one. I told Aaron to drive us to the shelter. He raised his eyebrows at me, “are you sure?” he asked. He knew I wasn’t going to the animal shelter just to look; he knew I had plans.

Aaron, my mom, and I all walked into the animal shelter while the girls waited in the car. We didn’t tell them our plans, and I didn’t think it would be good for them to see so many animals in need. When we walked in, we were met with the pungent smell of too many dogs and a symphony of barking. We walked down the hall, each kennel had at least three dogs in it. It was clear that the shelter was very overcrowded. My mom walked up and down the hall studying each dog until she came to a stop. “This one will be a good dog.”, she said. We walked over to the kennel and saw a small black and white puppy. The puppy took one look at us and sadly turned away. The tag on the kennel said, “female cattle dog.” Aaron went to find an employee to ask if we could see her.

In a small room, we anxiously waited for her to be brought in. The door opened and they placed the small puppy in my lap. She immediately buried her face into my elbow. Trembling in fear, she refused to look at me. Every time I picked her up to look at her, she would turn away. My mom assured me that she was scared, and that she would be a good dog. I let her settle into my arms while I promised her that she would be loved, cared for, and brought on many adventures. Her adoption fee was $65. Now it was time for the best part, introducing her to the girls.

She was still buried in my arms when I climbed into the backseat with my oldest daughter. She looked at what was in my arms and let out a squeal of delight. I carefully placed the puppy in her arms. Suddenly, the puppy came to life! She realized that she was no longer in the shelter, but in the arms of a little girl. Her little tail started wagging and she began yelping in delight. She was jumping all over my daughter and covering her with puppy breath kisses. My daughter looked at me with glassy eyes and asked, “are we really keeping her?”

By the time we reached Arizona, we had settled on the name Zoey. Zoey was adjusting well to her new life, even though she was somewhere new every night. She got to see the Grand Canyon, The Redwood Forest, and she got to splash in the Pacific Ocean with her new sisters. A few weeks later, we made our way back to New York, and she settled into her new home.

Zoey grew up to be a good girl, just like my mom said. As promised, we take her on all our adventures from hiking in the Adirondacks and playing under waterfalls, to camping, and even kayaking! She loves car rides and is the best travel companion we could ask for. She is loving, loyal, protective, and gentle. Even though people thought we were crazy for going on the trip and even crazier for picking up a puppy along the way, we are so glad we found Zoey.