Maddie’s Adoption!

GET READY for tons of cute pictures of an adorable doggo who’s slightly not photogenic. This is going to be a long one.

Madeleine Day – October 21, 2017. I got Maddie from Adopt & Shop in Culver City, a non-profit pet store with cat/dog adoptions. I chose Maddie because she actually paid attention to me, compared with all the others dogs I met who were a lot more interested in being out of their crates. Maddie also had a kennel cough so she was very very mellow – it slightly worried me that she might be too calm but she’s actually a little piece of joy. Look at how long and matted her fur was!

She had just gotten spayed a few days prior to her adoption so I had to wait a few weeks before I could get her properly groomed. She smelled real bad and also had to wear a cone so she wouldn’t lick at her incision. Maddie looked like a whole new dog after her first groom in what I estimate to be 6-9 months!

Maddie was actually known as Delilah at the shelter (random names are given to all new dogs) and all I know about her backstory was that she was rescued from a high kill shelter in Baldwin Park. She’s also had puppies before and you can tell from the way her abdomen and nipples kind of hang. Beyond that, I don’t know what she’s been through. Since day one, she’s known that her new name was Maddie. She was also previously housebroken as she’s only had an accident twice, both incidences in the early weeks of having her. She just needed some reminders and reinforcement about house rules so she’s now a pro at being a house dog. Except if she’s in a new home, she might feel the need to mark her territory, in which I will be there to tell her firmly no. My roommate and I had dog proofed our living room before adopting Maddie, but she’s actually so great about it. Like thank you, for not being a chewer and for respecting our belongings. Because Maddie doesn’t chew, she tends to get bad breath so I brush her teeth every other day or so.

Then I brought her home to my parents for the first time! My dad thought she was just a little ugly, but of course, she really grew on him as you can see. He’s pushing her in a Marshall’s stroller as she’s sitting on top of her newest bed #3, plus some dog treats that he bought for her. My mom is constantly talking to her and asking how she’s doing and gets super excited when I come home…not because I’m home, but because Maddie is lol!

Also, at my parents house there is a yard and instead of taking her out to use the restroom while living in my West LA apartment, I just let her run into my backyard. If I don’t let her back in quick enough, she gets concerned and peers through the window to see where I am <3

Maddie also loves Erik and gets just as excited to see him as she does when I come home from work every day. She’s also wearing the scarf Erik made when he was 13! So precious!

Is life that much different with a dog?

Maddie has grown into becoming my emotional support animal and I love her more than I thought I could! She’s very easy to take care of and has a sweet temperament. She kind of plays hard to get with people who want to pet her – she’ll go towards them with her tail wagging and at the last second turn away all disinterested. My life now revolves around her bathroom schedule and it is sometimes harder for me to go out with friends right after work. I would need to go home first to walk and feed her, or plan not to stay out too long. Though it took some adjustments, I love having her and wouldn’t change a thing.

What about traveling?

I want to be an avid world traveler and having Maddie has definitely made that harder. Since adopting her, I’ve taken 4 sub-week-long trips with friends doing me a huge favor and watching her, and I have an upcoming 2.5 week trip in which my parents will be dog sitting. I miss her every time I travel and whoever I’m traveling with gets to see my Maddie album on my phone like 3x over.

3 years later…

I’m coming back to write a little snippet in 2020 (the disaster year) to give an update on how Maddie is doing after 3 years with me. She’s learned a TON of tricks, has gotten a bit more territorial at my parents’ suburban home, but overall she’s the perfect dog for me. I’ve actually placed a few more adoption applications I’ve yet to hear back from for my parents as I’m encouraging them to adopt a dog as a buddy for Maddie. I’ve been fortunate to move to such a dog-friendly city like Long Beach so that Maddie can be taken with me almost anywhere. I think she’s living her best life, though I do sometimes look back to when she was first homeless and looking for love. I’m happy to say that she’s happy 🙂

Conclusion

If you’re thinking about adopting a dog and are at a point in your life that you feel is stable enough financially and emotionally, then go for it! Adopt & Shop is constantly getting new dogs every week and I think that shelter is amazing.

Thank you for reading about me gushing about my dog. Maddie thanks you too! <3

xx Sam

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