It looks as if our family is going to grow.
For the past several months, we have been talking about getting a dog. The talks really started when Janet and I were both working from home during the early months of the pandemic. We would go for walks together a couple of times each day. On one of these walks we met Luna, the new puppy that belonged to our neighbors across the street. Janet asked one day if we could take Luna on our walk and the wheels were set in motion.
Initially Janet, and then both of us, started looking at dogs on Facebook. Yes, there is more to Facebook than Russian disinformation and the memes your great-uncle shares supporting whatever is the latest MAGA political outrage. Hero’s Haven Animal Rescue is one of the Facebook pages we both started to follow. Hero’s Haven is a foster-based rescue established last year in Manchester, Iowa. Manchester is about 20 miles from us.
A couple of weeks ago, Hero’s Haven posted on Facebook about a stray dog that had been rescued after wandering the streets of Houston, Texas. After rescuing the pregnant dog, the rescuers were also able to save her puppies. Hero’s Haven has been working with an organization in Texas to help find foster families — and, hopefully, permanent homes — for the dogs.
We filled out an application to become a foster family, which, we were told, was the first step in someday adopting a dog from Hero’s Haven. We had to list personal references, all of whom were called and questioned. Pretty thoroughly, from what I’ve been told.
A few days later, a volunteer called and asked if we would take Jute. Last night, another volunteer came and did a home inspection, which we passed, I’m pleased to say. Jute should arrive at Hero’s Haven on October 17 and we should get him sometime after that.
For those of you keeping track, that will create a household of two sort-of empty nesters, an old blind cat, a sometimes naughty cat and a puppy that looks as if he could grow up to be kind of a big dog. It should be interesting. He looks homely enough to almost qualify as cute and Janet clearly has a soft heart for strays. Jute should fit right in.
It’s been awhile since I’ve had a dog. It’s been even longer since I’ve had a puppy. But I’m looking forward to getting to know Jute. There probably will be plenty of puppy posts around here for a while.
Let’s start the puppy posts by beginning with this question: What kind of a name is Jute?
We don’t know who named him, how they chose the name or if we’ll keep it if we eventually adopt the pup. I did look up the name in my handy Merriam-Webster dictionary, which lists two definitions:
- The glossy fiber of either of two Asian plants of the linden family used chiefly for making burlap and twine.
- A member of a Germanic people who invaded England from the continent and settled in Kent in the fifth century.
Janet rolled her eyes when she learned the blue-eyed dog may have been named after a group of German invaders. Yeah, Jute will fit in just fine.
That’s all I know for today. Thanks for stopping by. Be safe.
Brome Hill 