A happy pound hound

by Liane
(Sebastian, Fl.)

All my life I have had a pet a cat or dog to come home to. All my pets have been my favorite and all have been rescued. Either from the side of the road, a shelter, because someone didn't want the responsibility of the ailment they had. I had a Dalmatian that was 2 when I got her and I was her 9th owner. She stayed with us until her death from epilepsy almost 9 years. She was a awesome dog.

Elvis came to us from Halo rescue in Sebastian, Fl. I found him while we were shopping at WalMart one day and of course my husband had to go to the dog isle for Gypsy our black lab. Most men like tools, mine likes to spoil our lab in the dog isle. I had been there many times and nothing new to me so I started to wonder. Around the corner I found a picture frame with dogs available from the Humane Society. I looked and thought I already had 1 dog and it was kinda nice with just the 1. THEN I moved over to the cat isle and saw the Halo animals. I knew I couldn't have a cat. Gypsy had already scared off my cat of 2 years ( he's is fine he lives down the road now and waits for us to come and see him but he doesn't want to come home.) Then I saw him.

Elvis this beautifully colored Basset that looked just like the one my aunt had when I was a girl. That was on a Saturday. I worried all weekend long about him. I wanted him bad. On Monday I went to Halo and asked how to adopt him. The girl was a little taken back since I had never been there before and had never seen Elvis. She asked if I wanted to meet him and I said sure but I really want to take him home. She ignored me thinking I was joking. When this animal came out of his cage and looked at me, his tail took off. His eyes lit up like Christmas and he about jumped the gate to get to me and I him. It was love at first sight for us both.

I asked again how to get him out of jail. It took a few times of asking before they realized I was serious. And I was. I wanted him and wanted him out of jail now. It took 3 days to get him but worth it.

I entered Elvis in the Great American Photo Contest a few months later. He won. $1,000.00. He is handsome, well mannered, and a winner. So please please if your looking for a pet for your family go to a rescue or humane society for them. Why spend $500.00 for a mixed breed they are just a mutt like the rest of them. Interbreeding does not make a new breed it just means that both dogs had papers of pure breeds and they got together. Most of my dogs all had papers and Elvis has too, but unless he can read them I don't need them.