Bleu

Her eyes, that is what pulled me in, right through my computer screen. They seemed to ask how did I get here, why am I here and they pleaded with the person behind the camera lens to please take her away from there.

No, stop looking, nope I told myself, I am not in the market for a big dog. I am used to large dogs, growing up that is pretty much all we had. German Shepherds, Huskies, Doberman, even had a Huskie/White Wolf hybrid at one point, but this puppy was to be for my 7 yr old son so we needed medium sized at full grown. Yet, there she was, small medium at 3 months old. I navigated away from the page and closed my pc.

The next day during some down time at work, I checked my email. Wait a minute, why is there an email from the Tuscaloosa Humane Society?

Maybe it was just standard procedure, I did after all, put my email on the site. I opened it and there she was again! This time her big beautiful brown eyes are smiling at me through my computer. Why were they sending me pictures of the puppy, I had not inquired about her!

I read the email, “Hello Jessica! We are so excited that you are considering adoption of puppy #XXX! Here are more pictures of her per your request! Please take note of the time slots available for visitation due to Covid Restrictions.” Per my request?!? I looked for the email the lady referenced, and there it was in black and white! What is this sorcery??!

I did not inquire about this puppy (I thanked the lady for the pictures).

NO! I was not in the market for a ginormous fur baby (I clicked the link to receive more information about adoption).

And according to my Maps the location was almost 2 whole hours from where I live, with Covid in full swing and no childcare in site, it was hard enough to carve out time for work! (I clicked a time slot to schedule a visitation). No no no. And then...her sweet face....ok ..maybe.

The Process: 1. I found myself driving the almost 2 hrs to go see the puppy. I got there, she was very quiet and shy, after a few treats from my hand and me getting these old bones down on the floor, she finally came over, climbed in my lap, and looked up at me. Adoption done. 2. I couldn’t bring puppy home that day I had to wait for her to have her Spay procedure done in a couple of days.

Two days later and a total of 6 hrs drive time not including just hanging around time, we got on the road early to beat the rush hour traffic and pup wasn’t back from the vet yet so we had to hang out for about 3 hours.

Thanks to my mom, I have a very "old soul, been here before" conscious 7 year old. This is who I had to hang out with.

I say ‘lets park and go take a walk around this park” his reply, “Mom Covid is still out there”, I say “ok, well lets go get something to eat, you have your mask right?”, his reply “Yes I do but I know you are not talking about actually going inside...mom....Covid will kill us!”.

So we ended up parked next to a dumpster in a mall parking lot eating drive thru Chick Fil A.

3. Time to pick up pup! We pull up and there is a line, Covid Restrictions, (insert eye roll). As our turn comes we walk in and hand the lady our paperwork, she has a look of concern come over her face as she realizes which pup is ours.

She doesn't say anything as she disappears behind some metal double doors. She comes back out with saddest looking puppy I had ever seen. I step forward reach my arms out and say, “Hi baby”. At the sound of my voice she immediately perks up and starts to wiggle and pee all over the lady holding her, the woman smiles and her face brightens as she says, “Oh thank god! She has been so listless the last couple of days! She was waiting on you to come back for her! This is so awesome!”.

So me my son and his puppy now named ‘Bleu’ head home.

Bleu fit right in from the very beginning. She came in and decided this is where she belonged, this was her family! She was never afraid never skittish, never needed to adjust like some puppies sometimes have to. And very very smart. From the day we brought her in the house to this one she has never once pooped inside.

We did have a little pee issue for about a week, but after putting doggy diapers on her and explaining to her that this was the only way she would be allowed out of her kennel until she learned better manners than to pee on my floor, she never pee’d inside again!

Bleu was doing well, or so we thought, until we took her to the vet and found out...well lets just say Bleu had to be on more medication than I have ever been on at 1 time!

I had to buy a whole dry erase board to put her scheduled meds down, so I would not forget when I had given and when I had to give, and which ones to give at what time! This was the norm for almost 2 months!

I will be totally transparent and honest here, I begin to think I had rushed into this decision of adopting a fur baby. They are like having another child.

I was so overwhelmed with the stress of Covid, moving, my marriage falling apart, learning how to home school my son, my business taking a dive to the point of actually having to shut it down, and the greatest of all....losing my mother (my best friend, my confidant, my rock) in death. I thought getting a puppy would help redirect some of my anxiety, help me focus on something different. But here I am even more strung out than before!

And then one day, I was trying to get my 7 yr old to take a shower, he prefers baths at this stage in life (I’m just glad he will let water touch his body) and he was having a melt down about it.

I had no idea he was that afraid of the water coming down hitting him in his face, he loves the pool! Go figure! Of course I quickly told him it was ok he could just take a bath.

Enter Bleu, she had heard the real fear in his cries, and with enough submissiveness to me as his mother but with enough authority as his protector she sat next to him put her paw on his thigh and looked him in the eyes as if to say, don’t you worry about a thing I am here. And that small gesture was enough for me.

So I may threaten on a daily basis to put her on the next thing smokin' headin' back to Tuscaloosa because she spills her water bowl over after drinking from it, or because she pours her food all over the floor before laying down to eat it, or because I can no longer use the bathroom or take a shower in peace and what was my favorite maxi skirt is now a dusting rag courtesy of Bleu.

But with that small gesture, Bleu has made her way into our hearts and there ain’t no letting go.