This started a couple of weeks back when we happened to wander in just to see what was inside. I didn't even want a dog. Had no interest in it or remote desire for that sort of responsibility. But then I saw him. Big round brown eyes, floppy ears, black, tan and brown fur color and a happy wagging tail. As soon as the dog and I made eye contact, he stuck his nose straight up against the glass cage and stared at me with his puppy dog eyes, begging me to get him out of there. His tail was wagging furiously and I scratched my finger against the glass where his face was. At that point, he got so excited that he jumped up, hitting his adorable little puppy head against the ceiling of the cage and letting out a little whimper. That did it. I was heartbroken. I looked at The Husband and he looked at me, and we knew we had a problem. Were we ready for a dog? Was this our dog? We stood there, mesmerized at how much this furry little King Charles Cavalier Spaniel had eaten up our hearts in a matter of minutes. Newborn puppies at this store were over $2000, but because the dog before us was over 5 months already, he was a discount puppy - at $799.
The Husband whispered into my ear about how you're not supposed to buy dogs at a pet store, that it's supporting puppy mills and how pet stores buy these animals from places that abuse the dogs, etc. He somehow managed to get me out of the store, but the entire way home and for the next two hours, we agonized over what to do. We did research on the breed and found out these King Charles dogs make great apartment pets as well as loving companions. They were a very popular breed for being so easy going and trainable. I called my law school friend whose mother owned one of these dogs, who reiterated how much they loved the breed.
At this point, I had already started calling the dog, "Wally." We called The Husband's parents, as they are big dog lovers and had just adopted two dogs from the pound. They were concerned by how much the dog cost and commented that we could get a dog for much less and save a life by going to an animal shelter. This was true, but it was not Wally's fault he ended up in a pet store. My mother said she'd be happy if we got a dog, as long as she could be a grandma to the dog and not have to take care of it. My father said we should get a "real" dog like a golden retriever or lab, and that we should go to a breeder, not get ripped off by a pet store.
We decided, after two hours of debating, to go back to the store and get more information about Wally. Where they got him from, what health guarantees they could provide, where the dogs go if nobody adopts them and any immunizations/neutering that would need to get done. We made a mental list of questions and talked about how our scheduling would work for walking, feeding and grooming Wally. My last hesitancy was about picking up the dog's poop on the sidewalk. Still, I wanted more information.
So with growing excitement as we approached the pet store, we walked in only to discover that someone else had bought and taken away our Wally. His cage was empty.
We have now spent the past five weeks going back to the same pet store, checking out the other King Charles Cavalier Spaniels. Twice when we were there, two of these types of dogs got purchased. Apparently they sell like hot cakes. And now every KCCS I see on the street is immediately a "Wally," and I ask The Husband if he thinks that's our Wally. Chances are it's not, but I can't help but look for him.
Are we ready for a dog? Do you have a great dog that you love? Let's hear about it.
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