My Dog Adoption Journey
I wanted to start by saying that obviously everyone has different priorities and things they are looking for but this is how I went about it. I also know that for me things happened pretty quickly and I was super lucky!
As some of you may know I moved to Dallas in July of 2019. My family grew up with cats and never had a dog but I knew eventually I wanted to get a dog. So when I looked at apartments I did ask if pets were allowed. Now at that time, I had no intention of adopting a dog anytime soon so it was more just an added perk but most apartments I looked at if not all of them allowed dogs for some type of fee. I would say at the end of August I started researching and thinking about the possibility of adopting a dog. My main hang-up was actually how I would manage a dog while being at work all day. I knew I did not want to have to pay for a dog walker every day to come at lunchtime because that gets super expensive. So I started doing reading to see if it was possible to have a dog home all day without being walked during the day. Like I said my family never had a dog so I was clueless. Once I felt like I could make it work after reading a bunch online I started to casually look.
My friend came to visit me Labor Day weekend and I asked her a bunch of questions because she had a dog growing up who was at home during the day. I think it was the first week of September I started heavily looking on PetFinder and other adoption websites. For me personally, I knew I did not want a puppy and I knew I wanted a dog that was already housed trained. Those were the two main things I was not willing to bend on. As for breed, I have been obsessed with Corgi's but I knew to find a pure bread Corgi that was from a rescue was going to be near impossible. So I was open to any bread that I thought looked cute to me. I would say I was looking more towards small and medium-sized dogs. The first dog I got interested in was a part Corgi mix that was on the SPCA website. I went to the SPCA to look at the dog and quickly realized that the SPCA was not going to be for me. We have adopted cats from them before and I love the organization but the lady told me any dogs they have are usually strays so they can not guarantee they are house trained. After that visit, I just kept checking Petfinder daily. I will say if you are young and live in an apartment you lose a TON of options. For some reason, most places I was finding were extremely strict with the adoption requirements. I get the reasoning behind it but then again I don't if you can prove you will take care of the dog who cares if you are not 25 or don't have a fenced-in backyard. There was one cute small doddle type dog I was interested in and filled out an application for. At the same time, I also started following a bunch of Corgi specific rescue originations on Facebook.
As luck would have it only a short two to three weeks after I started heavily looking this adorable senior Corgi was posted on a Texas Corgi rescue Facebook page I was following. The post said he was needing a quiet home without pets and a few other things that fit what I was looking for. I filled out the application on a Wednesday night I think and the next day the rescue company emailed me that they thought I might be the perfect fit. I will say the email did not make Cooper out to be perfect. He did have some bathroom issues from nerves and she said he didn't like other dogs. I agreed to drive out to their house to meet Cooper. The drive was about one hour which was perfect considering how big Texas is. I made a list of questions I had before I went to visit him on the weekend. Once I got there I saw how sweet he was and he fit everything I was looking for. So after lots of chatting, I brought him home with me for a trial adoption. The family that ran the rescue could not have been nicer. They gave me everything I needed supply wise. They put me on a four-week trial and said if it didn't work they would take him back without hesitation. Which for me was a big plus over a place like the SPCA where you can walk out with a dog the same day fully owning it.
After I brought him home the first two weeks were REALLY hard not going to lie. He wasn't even a puppy but I hardly got any sleep. He was getting adjusted to my place, schedule, and bathroom routine. After he finally calmed down and wasn't having to go out to the bathroom a million times things were great! He adjusted super quickly and I knew pretty quickly I wanted to adopt him. I don't know what day I made the adoption official but it was sometime in October and I picked him up on September 14th.
I was super lucky to have found Cooper so quickly and had everything go pretty smoothly! Now onto some advice I would give ...
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| This is the first day I brought him home |
Advice After Having A Corgi One Year
1. Have An Idea Of What Your Looking For // I think it is important to think about what you are willing to take on and don't bend your list just to find an animal quicker. Things to think about include age, breed, health issues, potty trained, sex, breeder vs adoption, size, etc...
2. The Price Is Even More Than You Think It Will Be // I knew a dog was not going to be cheap but like everything else things add up very quickly. There was the adoption fee, apartment pet deposit, supplies/food, and vet fees. The vet fees were about what I was expecting but it is a lot with the shots and flea medicine. I never knew that you had to give flea medicine monthly! Then if they are on any other medications things get pricey quickly. I luckily found a great vet that I don't feel overcharges but it's still expensive just for a simple visit.
3. Traveling Takes A Bit More Planning // I would say for someone my age this is my number one thing to think about. Like most people, I love to travel but having a dog adds to the complication and makes things much more pricy. I would say the one thing to think about around this is the size of your dog. If you have a small dog it is much easier to travel with them on an airplane under your seat. With Cooper, he is too big to do that so I choose to have a pet sitter come into my apartment to walk him. With some trial and error, I found a great company. However, no matter if you do boarding or in-home visits dog walking is pretty pricy. I would say $70-80 a day is average. It's not impossible to travel and I have for sure been lucky enough to be able to still travel but it adds an additional price to a vacation!
4. Only You Know If You Are Ready // I did not expect to adopt a dog so quickly after I moved but for me, it felt like the right time and I did tons of research and thinking before I decided to start looking. You can get advice from as many people as you want but at the end of the day, you have to be the one to make the decision. If you think you are ready to commit I say go for it dogs are so much fun!
5. If You Live By Yourself & Want To Be Active Dogs Are A Great Option // I think that dogs are a great way to get out more, be more active, and have a cute roommate. I enjoy having my dog to keep me busy! If you find you are lonely living alone dogs do make a great option.
6. Make The Adoption Application Memorable // I am confident in saying that the reason the adoption organization noticed my application was because I went out of my way to explain way I wanted to adopt, what I could provide, and why I felt I was the perfect fit. I answered all the basic questions the application had but I added a short heartfelt note to the application which I think helped. Make the application your own! Tell your story don't just fill out the basics because this helps show your genuine interest.
As you can tell Cooper is way too photogenic :)
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