It's been over a month since Sampson died. Emery still asks for him. Occasionally she cries for him. I still tear up just thinking about him. He's missed so much. Sometimes I wake up and for a second I forget. But then the absence of his presence is pretty loud. Thankfully we have a lot of happy memories. And even though it saddens us sometimes when we're reminded of him we can't help but smile at the thought of our goofy boy. For those animal lovers out there who understand what I'm talking about, isn't it the worst? The emptiness and the hurt that you feel mixed in with the gratefulness of having had them at all in the first place. For those that aren't as in love with animals as we are, well in a way you're lucky. In others, I feel sorry for you.
After Sampson died we started looking into adopting an adult pit bull, and we even visited that shelter I told y'all about. But we didn't "click" with any of them. And the one that we were considering completely ignored us the whole time we took him out. It was disheartening. I know this might sounds silly but I wanted that connection. Maybe it wouldn't be as strong as the one we had with Sampson, but I knew that it existed and I wouldn't settle for anything less when it came to adding a fur-baby to our family. So as we were heading home empty handed I questioned whether or not we were even ready. Maybe I had too high expectations? Maybe we were rushing it? Maybe we'd never find another dog because none would ever compare to our Sampson?
Well that same day a cousin of a friend contacted me on instagram about this little puppy they had. She was the last puppy they had, and it didn't look like anyone else would be taking her. She was a pit bull, three months old, and needed a good home. They had recently heard about what happened to our Sampson and were willing to just let us have her if we were interested. They told us to stop by and just play with her a bit, get a feel for her, and see if we even wanted a puppy. So, we decided to go for it.
The minute I saw her, I fell in love. It was that thing, you guys, that connection. We were bonded. She was black, with floppy ears, and a big head! She was very interactive with us and I knew right then that she was coming home with us one way or another. Before I even expressed my opinion my husband voiced what I was thinking. He wanted her too. She was perfect, and she'd grow up knowing us. Emery asked if we could keep her (as well as the puppy's mom who was playing fetch with her). So it was settled! We were getting a puppy. The only thing left to do was pick out a name! Which we argued about for two days. Eventually, my husband let me have my way and she was officially named "Gotham".
The first week was spent allowing her to get settled in with us and her new surroundings. It was a bit stressful for me at first because it's been seven years since we've had a puppy. The accidents, the jumping, the nipping, and hardheadedness. I had completely forgotten how much time and work goes into a puppy. But, we've come out the other end completely in tact. She's doing really well with Emery and learning commands. She's such a smart girl, and has a lot of energy which we take care of by going for walks (and before the snow- runs). She's put a smile back on our faces. She's helped us keep busy, and given us an opportunity to share our love with her. I only wish that Sampson were here for it.
Until we see you again big guy! We miss you!
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