Original post date February 11, 2021
We were on our way to Target one Saturday morning when my son Dylan, only 3 years old at the time, saw the adoption event going on outside of PetSmart.
“No, no, no, don’t even ask!” I said it before he could get the words out. But he was 3. He got the words out and of course asked to go see the dogs.
We were in no place to adopt another dog at that time. I had Titus at home battling his final days with cancer, my mom’s 3 dogs running the house, and 3 cats! Two of which were kittens we had recently found abandoned at the local Goodwill.
But there’s something about a little kid asking to see the puppies that is just impossible to deny, so naturally I stopped the car in front of Petsmart. Before getting out of the car, I had to have a serious mini convo with my son. He knows when I mean business, so he understood when I told him “Don’t even think to ask if we can take one home. Absolutely not, we can’t right now, just no.” He agreed, so I took him to see the dogs.
I don’t really know what happened next, it all happened so fast. Without even realizing it, without hesitation, I ran (yes, I literally ran) to the woman volunteering and asked if they had any seniors for adoption. (What did I just do?!! What was I thinking?! Who let me out of the car to see the dogs?!) I will never forget the woman’s response. She wasn’t expecting to be asked about any seniors from a mom with her 3 year old in hand. “Ummm? I don’t think...Wait, yes! We have one senior around here somewhere. I’ll go find him for you.” This is when the reality of what I had just done sank in! This is when I asked my 3 year old why he let me ask the lady about a dog LOL. Still, we anxiously waited to see who she went to find. I was imagining a smaller dog, something like a Jack Russell or maybe a Beagle mix. Something the size of all the other dogs there for adoption. I love big dogs, I’ve just only ever had small/medium sized dogs of my own so it’s just what came to mind. About the size of my Titus.
Next thing I know she’s heading back our way with what might as well have been a mini elephant! All the dogs the there that day were 40lbs or less, where did this 100lb dog come from?? Apparently he was a Boxer/Mastiff mix. A Mastiff?! Oh my goodness.
As soon as he was standing in front of me though, everything else around me seemed to disappear. All I saw was this big precious unwanted soul, smiling as if nothing in the world mattered. Oh, my heart. My heart shattered and all I could think about was how was a Mastiff going to fit in my car??
He walked right up to Dylan with his big smile and nuzzled his head into his arms for a hug.
Then he came to me and did the same. He was a hugger! The best hugger. And he really wasn’t that big I suppose.
“What’s his story?”
They didn’t know much, just that he was seen being thrown from a truck in front of the Walmart about an hour south of us. Witnesses saw him just laying where he landed, waiting for anyone to help him. While STILL smiling. He was saved, thankfully, and was taken to the shelter for a vet check.
When he arrived at the shelter, he was a mess. He had tick disease, untreated hip and back injuries along with his new hip and back injuries from being dumped. He had severe arthritis, and all his teeth were worn down to nubs, aside from a few back molars. Most likely from years of being chained. He was old and not what they considered adoptable. But due to his desire to love everyone, they gave him a chance for adoption.
He was taken to one other adoption event the weekend prior, and was overlooked by everyone. They even discounted his adoption fee to try and get him a home. This particular Saturday adoption event that we stumbled upon, was Truman’s final chance to find a home. He was headed back to the shelter that weekend to be euthanized if he wasn’t adopted. So we paid his discounted adoption fee and took him home.
That day, this precious boy who ended up changing our lives, came home with us. We gave him his new name, Truman, and he became our world.
Truman sure loved his boy Dylan. The boy he knew was the reason he was saved that day.
We talk about that day at Petsmart all the time. We were blessed with 5 unforgettable years with Truman. Adopting Truman that day, changed everything.