Taking a chance on a dog is like dating

 

As a single person who has used the dating apps, and of course dated people I've met in real life, I feel I am completely qualified to compare dating people to getting to know a dog. 

Even the way we sometimes find a dog to adopt is swiping on a website or application. And sometimes the descriptions are robust - thoughtful, helpful, interesting, and a way to truly imagine what that person might be like in life. Some dogs have amazing descriptions. And they are true!

If you know you know - some profiles on dating websites and dog adoption websites leave much to be desired. Perhaps, at best, a recycled version of someone else's profile or generic enough just to pull you in. 

I got really lucky with Chance because he was appropriately described as snuggly, a dog that would love to find his person, and one with soulful eyes. And he had an incredible foster mom who took exceptionally good care of him the week before I met him and brought him home. So I was able to get a lot of information from her about him, despite it being a fairly short amount of time.

The first few weeks were close to brutal. Kissing the edge of maddening. 

He was confused as any dog would be, but more so because he had come from a very hard (probably harder than we can imagine) environment and had not been treated like a loveable, friendly companion.

At best he was given the very basics, and at times not even that.

So walks were brand new to him, not fighting for a meal or worrying no one would pay him any attention.

I'd like to think he learned quickly that this was a safe home and space, and he was never going to experience that hardship ever again.

The reason we date people is to figure out if they work for us, and we work for them. Being single doesn't mean that's been an epic failure for me...but admittedly I'm still single so clearly I have yet to hit the bullseye.

And if you've had a soul dog you know they are bonded to you for eternity and hard to stop wanting back in your life with they leave. In that department, I was successful. As most of you know, Oliver and I were meant to be.

Chance is not my soul dog. His needs for activity, attention, and constant companionship (he would LOVE to have another dog in his life) just don't align with my capabilities at this time in life. Much as it hurts to write that.

But he's someone's forever soul dog.

And so with a heavy, but hopeful, heart I am letting everyone know that Chance is available for re-homing.

We've been hanging out together for over four months, so I can assure you his profile is accurate and true :)

For Adoption: Chance

Age: approximately 1.5 years (estimated because of the circumstances of his rescue)

Weight: 14.5 lbs

Color: Black with gray marks (his puppy antics will quickly erase you thinking he's a distinguished older gentleman with his gray hairs)

Character and qualities: part snoozy bean, part playful pup, this young terrier (probably a mix of Boston and Scottish) will grab your heart and your fingers. He has had some training and will need more to curb the mouthy-ness that comes with play and preparation for walks.

Activity level: Chance loves 20-30 minute walks, and he's currently getting three of those a day, he has a basket a toys he'll happily chase and return to you for a solid 15-20 minutes and then he probably has plans for more snoozing or snuggling.

Routine: Chance goes to bed, in his crate - which he happily and willingly goes into - at about 8:00 p.m. and sleeps through the night. Typically waking at 7:30 a.m. or so to go outside, he is thrilled to get back into his pet parents bed for some morning snuggle time after that. 

He grazes on dry food throughout the day and gets a serving of fresh food from Ollie in the evening for dinner. And of course happily accepts a snack or two throughout the day.

What he needs: a home where someone is home throughout a good portion of the day, or daycare (he is currently enrolled at Oscar's Pet Resort), and a family that will play with him and give him praise for being the good dog he is. 

Chance is a client at Neffsville Veterinary Clinic, is up to date on his shots, takes a daily probiotic, and is on monthly flea, tick, heartworm care.

If you are interested or know someone who might be, please reach out to either myself or my mom. You are welcome to share my contact information with someone who is interested, or I'm happy to reach out to them if you'll give me theirs.

p.s. Chance does not love car rides - full disclosure. That and his oral fixation are his two least appealing qualities. But he has learned to ride in his carrier.

All items that belong to Chance will go with him when he is adopted by a new family.

Steps to Cure Sarcoma

 

With spring in our steps and winter slowly (but certainly!) finding its way away from our area, I'm excited to form Chance for a Cure - my team for the upcoming event Steps to Cure Sarcoma.

I'm very excited this event is taking place for the 12th time, and that all proceeds go directly toward research for this specific kind of cancer.

The event takes place May 17, 2026. I'd love to be at the event itself, but in order to have more support around me that morning, I've elected to create a virtual walk team that anyone can join and by doing so - whether you walk with us in Bent Creek on that morning beginning at 10:30 a.m. (if inclement weather is intolerable you can always walk around your house instead) :) or you take a walk in your own neighborhood wherever you may be, you're joining forces with others to help make a difference. 

Every dollar raised counts and every step taken toward finding more chances to beat this matters.

Register Here!

As a reminder - 

Sarcomas are rare cancers of the bones and soft tissues including muscles, blood vessels, fat, nerves, tendons and other connective tissues. They affect approximately 12,000 people each year in the United States. Bone sarcomas are more common among children, and soft tissue sarcomas are more common in adults. Advanced imaging techniques are used to evaluate the tumor characteristics and accurately pinpoint their location. Image-guided biopsies are performed by musculoskeletal radiologists and the diagnoses determined by experienced musculoskeletal pathologists. Pet dogs develop spontaneous sarcomas that are similar to human sarcomas. The Veterinary and Medical schools work together to incorporate canine models into the Penn Sarcoma Program to accelerate understanding sarcoma pathogenesis and to bring effective therapies into the human and veterinary clinics.

 In advance, thank you for considering being part of the team and for always being patient with me as I ebb and flow with blogging. I will commit to you a new blog or two in the coming days!

Oh yeah. If you like being merchandised properly (and shopping) click here to purchase something to wear that day (and in all the years to come!) I did a google search and found some other great pieces for sale on various sites, such as Etsy too!

If you have any questions - text or email me, or my parents!