Friday, April 10, 2009

To Molly

Our adopted "daughter" Molly - in Maine watching Dad leave shore without her!

She adopted us when she was about 3, at least that's the age we were given by the Miami Animal Shelter. Her first "mom" had died and a neighbor brought Molly into the shelter because there were no relatives to take her. Lucky us.

We'd been considering getting a dog because my husband traveled during the week and he knew I was getting a little lonely. Having always been dog lovers, a small, older pet was our first option.

He missed Molly on his first trip through the shelter, but on a second trip (he felt compelled to give one more look) past the cages of older dogs, there she was; sitting dignantly behind two barking German shepherds. Ken asked to meet her and the rest is history; love at first sight.

Molly left us last October 10, six months to the day. We had 13 years with her, and if we'd had our druthers, we'd have 13 more.

But, back to the picture above. We were visiting dear friends in Maine who lived on a gorgeous lake. The first morning, we got up smelling coffee and welcoming the fresh Maine air; that is until Molly chased a skunk under an outbuilding and returned wearing her own "special scent."

Our friends told us that the "special scent" remained in their home for several months. Fortunately, our friendship has lasted a little longer than that...over 20 years!

I'm sure, in this little tribute, Molly would want me to add a link to the wonderful places that shelter dogs and cats until they find a good home, so here's a list state-by-state. If you want to add a link for your favorite pet adoption shelter, please leave a comment.

Here's to you, Molly Girl.
xoxo, Mom

20 comments:

Chris Eldin said...

Aww...this is a beautiful tribute.

I love that photo. So much dog energy waiting, just waiting.

Mary Cunningham said...

Thanks, Chris. It's probably my favorite. The picture says so much. Appreciate your comment.

Regan Black said...

I love a good dog story - and stories about good dogs!

As a foster mom of greyhounds, I thank you for sharing the value of adopting shelter pets!

Regan
http://www.reganblack.com

Mary Cunningham said...

Thanks, Regan. I know Molly would appreciate your devotion to giving greyhounds another chance. So do I.

Eileen Williams said...

What a wonderful story of your adopted daughter, friendship, and the unexpected pleasure of a "special scent." Dogs do have a way of making their presence known and putting their own stamp on any vacation.
Thanks for the smile of recognition--we, too, have known that "special scent" and it's a memory maker alright!

Juliae Schoerke said...

Mary, this is really a wonderful and lasting tribute to Molly. I love the photo of her too.

The Stiletto Gang said...

A wonderful rememberence of Molly! Dogs bring so much joy to our lives.

Rhonda
aka The Southern Half of Evelyn David
http://www.evelyndavid.com

(We have a page of Irish wolfhound rescue groups on our web page)

Darla Sue Dollman said...

A very touching story, Mary. I always admire people who adopt, and I wouldn't expect anything less from a caring and compassionate person like you. I adopted an "older" dog from a shelter in Colorado once and was warned repeatedly about the responsibilities the come with "older" animals. She lived another 15 years and wasn't sick a day of it! Lovely little story, Mary.
Darla Sue

Jenn's Bookshelves said...

Oh..what a precious story..
All of my pets are rescues. We have two cats: Sylvester, a tuxedo, and Jadzea, a tortie. We just recently adopted our first dog, Jack, a Doxie/chihuahua mix. They bring such joy into our lives.

Mary Cunningham said...

Thanks, everyone, for your supportive comments! I was hesitant to post this, but am glad I did.

Pet adoption is a priority. There are too many beautiful souls waiting for a good home.

Thanks all!

Home At Last said...

great story and wonderful photo

Norm Cowie said...

Looks like whomever took the pic got left behind too.

Norm

http://fangplace.blogspot.com

Mary Cunningham said...

The other one left behind would be me, Norm. Glad I was to snap this pic of Molly.

Thanks for stopping by, Patty and Norm.

Mayra Calvani said...

Very touching post, Mary. I have a dog who is part of our family, so I sooooo understand you. And what a lovely photo. A beautiful tribute.

Mary Cunningham said...

Thanks for your understanding, Mayra...as a true "mom" would.

I truly appreciate all the people who stopped by and took the time to leave a comment in honor of Molly.

Anonymous said...

Molly was indeed an incredibly cool pup. I got to spend time with her on several occasions and she was a dreamy little dog.

She is missed by many.

http://karensyed.blogspot.com

Mary Cunningham said...

Thanks, Karen. I know how much you liked her, even though she made you sneeze! Appreciate the comments.

Anonymous said...

I just read this and saw the picture of Molly.What a nice thing to do in honor of her.
Cynthia

Mary Cunningham said...

Thanks, so much Cynthia. You're like Regan, although she adopts greyhounds and you have golden retrievers. It's the way to go.

Appreciate your thoughts.

Mary Cunningham said...

Thanks, Abigale. I'm so glad you're reading "Cynthia's Attic" blog! Hope you'll stop by often and make comments.

Mary