Meet Max

 

Meet Max!

On Saturday, 10/17, we welcomed a new furry family member to the crew. Maxwell Layne (named to honor our Layla) was adopted from our local animal shelter, who partners with a high-kill shelter in North Carolina to save pups who probably would have not had a chance otherwise. I am so glad they brought Max to us, because he is the absolute sweetest boy!

A little back story: If you know me in real life or have been following along for any amount of time, you know how much I (and our entire family) adored our Golden Retriever, Layla, who passed away in January of this year. She was truly my best friend, my constant companion, my calm in the craziness of life. Of course, she left us right before life got crazier than ever and I have missed her presence desperately during these long, lonely pandemic months. If you had asked me (and many did) if I would have considered getting a "new dog" after Layla died, it was a hard no. I simply couldn't picture doing that through the pain.

Over the course of the year I've continued to grieve. After a few months, the kids asked about getting a new pup someday, and around the 7 or 8 month mark, I began to open my heart to the idea. I think my readiness came about when I realized that no matter what, I will always miss Layla whether we have another dog or not... so we might as well save a life and enjoy all of the benefits loving an animal brings.

Back to the present: I knew I was committed to rescuing (just as we had with Layla), and we preferred not to adopt a puppy as they usually get a ton more interest than older dogs, plus, I'll be honest: I have three small kids and potty training a puppy, and dealing with teething/nipping and such just wasn't ideal. Our ideal age range was 1-4 so the pup could grow along with our kids. As far as breed and size, we weren't picky (although I do have a soft spot for larger dogs). Our only real requirement was: great with kids.

Enter Max.

I saw his picture pop up on our local shelter's website and sent our application in. It was a whirlwind from there -- he would be arriving on transport from the south in just two days, and could we meet him with the intention of finalizing the adoption that day? It was a little nerve-wracking because we take adopting so seriously but I just had a good feeling about this boy. The minute I saw him get off of transport with his handler, I knew he was sweet. I could just tell from his demeanor. He was shy and a bit timid (who could blame him?) but gave me a kiss on the cheek and had a seat on my lap right away. He didn't jump at the girls, but greeted them happily and took his treats gently. We all fell in love right away and knew we had to bring him home!

So far, he's doing wonderfully. About a week and a half in, he's relaxing in his new environment and showing us his playful side. He's well-mannered but fun-loving, obsessed with people, and so snuggly. He reminds me of Layla in that way! He just loves to be with us. We are so grateful that he is a part of our family.

Have you ever rescued a pet? Would love to hear your story, too!