Until we meet again...

I have always loved dogs and knew I would have a dog as an adult. I never could have imagined the positive impact that being a dog owner would have on my life. I also never imagined that my adoption of Mason on that cold day in January would change my life.

Today I will share the story of Mason Shaun Shields. The cutest and most loving white Schnauzer in the world. The day I adopted him is a day I will never forget. I was working in an outside sales job at the time and had an extremely rough day. On days like this, I would often go to the animal shelter and play with the dogs.

At the time I lived in the Midwest, so the weather was always unpredictable. We had several snow and ice storms and it had been weeks since I was able to visit the shelter. On this particular day, there was still snow on the ground, but the sun was shining and the snow was melting. I wanted to go see the dogs; I needed my fix of canine energy.

My intention was just to play with the dogs and catch up with the staff. I had a good relationship with the staff, and I would drop off donations to the shelter when I could. In this shelter they had two sections. The top section of the shelter had small and large dogs that were all in kennels. The bottom section was my favorite because they had play areas setup and I would come and play with the dogs several times a month; weather permitting.

On this January day, I fell in love shortly after walking out of the shelter. I walked in and saw two Schnauzers in a play area together. They both were adorable, but it was something about the white one that touched my soul. He walked up and sniffed me and the rest was history.

We were like two lovers who could not keep our hands off of each other. I felt connected to him, but I knew in my heart I wanted a Boxer. I had already been to several shelters looking for a Boxer and that is what I had my heart set on.

Once I found out that a lot of the dogs that were in the area downstairs would be euthanized if they were not adopted in a few days, my breed of choice changed. I was told that due to the ice storm the shelter had been closed for a couple weeks and now it was overcrowded. Of course, that broke my heart and I made a move quicker than I normally would.

I told the staff that I needed to go home and do some research before I made my decision. They asked what research I needed, because they had a computer and could print everything for me. Normally, I would have found this behavior a tad bit aggressive; but this time it did not bother me so much. I was not familiar with the breed, so that was the main information that I wanted. I read the information over, but it was his spirit that captured my heart.

I later found out that the two Schnauzers were brother and sister and that they were left on a farm with a Billy Boat, a Lab and another dog. The shelter assumed that the owner had died. I would have loved to adopt both Schnauzer’s, but I knew I could not immediately go from owning zero dogs to owning two. It was something about the boy Schnauzer…his eyes; the way he looked at me melted my heart. Both dogs were extremely timid, but Mason’s spirit continued to capture my heart.

I was still unsure if I wanted to adopt this dog, as my house was not “doggy proof”. I simply came to the shelter to play with the dogs to lift my mood. As I was toying around with the idea of adopting this adorable dog, a group of women came in. They walked around the shelter for a few minutes admiring all of the dogs. When they started to walk towards Mason, they asked one of the staff what was his name. I decided to chime in and I yelled, “His name is SOLD!”

I asked where I needed to sign to claim my dog and the paperwork was completed within 5 minutes. I was not able to take Mason home that day, because he had to be neutered. The day I adopted him was a Friday evening; so, I was told I would not be able to pick him up until Monday evening after his surgery. I was sad, because I was ready to bond with my new baby; however, it allowed me the opportunity to puppy proof my house.

I left the shelter at closing and was back at the shelter first thing Saturday morning. I could not take Mason home with me, but no one said I could not visit him in the shelter. I felt like such a proud mother. Anyone that walked by, I made sure to tell them that Mason was my new baby.

I had the pleasure of having Mason in my life for 7 memorable years. A few years after adopting him he was diagnosed with kidney stones. They did not recommend surgery for various reasons. I wanted to have my baby around as long as possible, so I took matters into my own hands and did some research on natural things that I could do to dissolve or reduce the kidney stones.

Mason lived around 3 years after being diagnosed with Kidney Stones. I always say Mason saved my life, because if I ever thought about doing something stupid, I would think of him and would retreat. Less than a week before he died, I found out I could not have children. I was devastated and still am several years later. How could I be deprived of motherhood and my fur baby taken away from me all at the same time.

Shortly after adopting Mason, he was blessed with a doggy sister Zoey Marie. He loved her like she was his baby. He taught her what it meant to be a good sibling. The day I brought her home to visit Mason she was only 3 weeks old. He walked up to her, sniffed her, and immediately started kissing her. That was his way of letting me know that he accepted her.

After Mason passed away, Zoey Marie and I both were devastated. After a couple months I adopted another white Schnauzer; but this time it was a girl. When Zoey met her, she walked up to Bella Boo, sniffed her and immediately started kissing her. It was like deja’ vu.

Getting Bella Boo helped up us cope a little better, because one dog can never replace another dog. The thing that really helped me get through the loss of Mason, was getting a tattoo in honor of him. Mason taught me to love unconditionally. For that I will always be grateful. I have a lot of things left to accomplish in this world; but I do cherish the moment that Mason I meet again.