I am a dog person, dog lover, dog enthusiasts or whatever else you kids call it these days. Ever since he stumbled into our life, I can just not get enough of this spontaneous animal.

My boyfriend (Carson) didn’t expect to have a puppy so soon in his life, and although I dreamed about it, neither did I. Living in the city, I have to fight against every bone in my body so that I don’t give into the temptation of rescuing a dog for my own selfish needs. It can be funny the way fate works, you really never can predict when some things will just happen.

This past summer, around August, I was down to North Carolina to visit my boyfriend before the school year hit. We were standing on his front porch when a rather interesting (sketchy) fellow approached us. I don’t know how else to really put this other than in its simplest form. He asked us if we wanted a puppy.

This was some cliche right out of my dreams or a disney animation film. Despite this fact, this was definitely not the gentleman I had envisioned offering me a bundle of love on the street. There was no fedora or top hat, and definitely no english accent.

Expectations V. Reality

We asked to take a look and a few moments later, he carried Leroy onto our steps and that is where he stayed. This exchange was probably one of the most odd and unsettling moments in my life. Let’s remember that I live in North Philadelphia, I’m not exactly unaccustomed to odd exchanges.

After a few moments of this mans babbling, I came to the conclusion that this dog was either “won in a bet” or stolen from a man who owed him money. Either way, $50 later and a trip to petsmart; Leroy had a new home.

One of the first things we did was take him to the Vet. We discovered a lot about this blissful pup. It was clear from the start he was seldom cared for. He had some bald patches on his rather thin body and some abusive marks on various spots. The vet confirmed that he was most likely abused and possibly could have been bred for dog fighting. I don’t think you could ever regret rescuing a puppy after hearing something like that.

From the beginning, Leroy was happy and loving. From the moment we brought him in, he had a facade that was clear, he wasn’t used to getting so much attention. He thrived on it. He now has become an avid snuggler. He can’t be near a person, blanket, stuffed animal ect. without throwing his body up against it. He also loves to sleep once you get him settled down. When you have a military boyfriend working, there isn’t much to do in a small town in North Carolina except for Netflix and sleep. Leroy has no problem going back to sleep with me or snuggling up for a John Hughes film. He is my best friend in a town where I don’t have any.

Now Leroy is much more grown up than when rescued. He has definitely grown significantly in weight and size. He is also extremely rambunctious and aggressively playful. Hard to keep track of and always on the move. This pup makes me worried about parenthood some day. I’m already exhausted.

Currently home for the holidays, both my boys are hard to keep up with. They are so similar, it kills me. Both want to always be involved and on the move, except when they need a nap. They are absorbing all of my energy but I suppose that is a good thing.

With a sleeping puppy on my lap, and a warm room on a cold winter day, I am incredibly thankful for my life.  Looking at Leroy and writing about his past reminds me of the small things you can do to make some good in this world.

XO