Madden's Story

There actually was another Madden for about three days.  A Great Pyrenees looking puppy almost came home with us, but our landlord was on vacation and did not confirm approval swiftly enough with the shelter.  When we got all of our paperwork in, the adoption volunteer informed us that another family had adopted "our" dog.  I remember her saying something about we should be happy that he went to a good home with four little boys to play with.  Secretly, I cursed my landlord and those four little boys who had "MY" dog.

I think it took a few days for me to get over that, during which I did not take my daily after-work visit to the shelter.  I had some specific characteristics that I was seeking in our next dog, specifically a big and fluffy dog that would allow our golden to be the alpha.  Someone that could play with him, but also not compete for control or have any desire to retrieve his tennis balls.

When I finally got over missing out on the very rare Pyrenees pup, I decided to revisit the shelter and for the first time I went to the non-adoptable side where the found dogs are first held to be reunited with owners or unclaimed ones are being tested for behavior to move to the adoptable side.  And there he was in the very first pin.

He looked just like a Bernese Mountain Dog, which is a favorite breed of mine, but the label listed him as a Saint Bernard.  He was so very depressed that he would not come to the fence, and seemed to lay in a manner as if he would melt into the floor and disappear.  He was adorable, but he was not adoptable yet. I could not even play with him, because his demeanor had not yet been tested for safety with visitors. I talked to the agent about him, and discovered that he had been found by a family which had posted flyers in their neighborhood to try and find the owner.  After two weeks, they just could not keep him because they already had two dogs and three cats.  The notes on his file said that he got along well with all the animals and was a very good dog, but they just had too many pets already.  However, he had not had his behavior tests yet.

I came to visit him the next day, waiting for him to become adoptable and I happened to be there when the three evaluators came to check on him.  He was like a rag doll and looked to them with pleading eyes of depression.  I thought how hard it must be for him to go from a house of pets and family to a pin alone.  The evaluators filled out some forms but there were other tests needed.  I had to wait another day.

I went back the next day, because there is no way that a family of four boys were going to beat me to this pup.  And he was approved for adoption!  But, I had to wait for him to be neutered.  We got permission for my husband to come and visit and for us to spend time with him in his pin.  He stayed in the corner, but my husband kneeled down and called for him to come.  To this day, we still talk about that moment when this skinny pup came over and rested his head on my husband's knee and looked to him with pleading eyes. There was such clear communication, "Please help, I want a home." I teared up then and can do it again today, five years later.

So finally on the the 4th day, he came home with us.  Ever since then, he and our other dog have been best friends.  We take them on trips, to restaurants, and regularly to the park.  They are the perfect team, even when playing ball, because Madden never tries to get the ball.  Instead he plays defense, and tries to prevent Coach, the golden, from getting it.

I still have the photo from the website, showing him as a found dog.  We put it in a Christmas ornament and every holiday we retell this story and give thanks to the Town Lake Animal Shelter for helping us find him. I don't think he ever even was posted to the adoptable section of the website, because he chose me from the very first day that I saw him.  And, really, there was only one Madden that was meant for us.