Meet Our New BRF (Best Running Friend)

We have some happy news to share.  Meet our puppy!

He is a rescue from the Tallahassee Animal Shelter.  Everything we know about him is here on this card.  He was a stray found on April 15.  They believe he is an English Pointer - Lab.  

Approximately four months old, he is a big lovable boy and so very sweet. Check out the big paws and his beautiful green/gold eyes.  

We've been planning to adopt a dog for over a year.  But with a lot of race travel and family-related travel, it got pushed back again and again.  On Saturday, we were at our local animal shelter to donate blood.  They had a promotion going on, and we got a 'certificate' that would waive the customary adoption fees.   

We walked through the kennel area and this little face caught our eyes right away.  

We asked to play with 'Gunther' (the name shelter  staff gave him) and ...  I am almost positive I actually heard "So This is Love" from Cinderella playing out loud...    It was love at first sight for all three of us.

So this is love, Mmmmmm

So this is love
So this is what makes life divine
I'm all aglow, Mmmmmm
And now I know
The key to all heaven is mine
My heart has wings, Mmmmmm
And I can fly
I'll touch ev'ry star in the sky
So this is the miracle that I've been dreaming of
Mmmmmm
Mmmmmm
So this is love

We put in an application for him that same visit.  But he wasn't 'fixed' yet - so we've had to wait until his surgery was done, before we could bring him home on Tuesday.  

Of course we went back to visit him the next day, Sunday.  While the puppy had been a bit shy the day before, you can see he is coming out of his shell more and more.  (DG looks grumpy here for some reason - so don't mind him.)

Yesterday, this little guy was neutered.  And the shelter is closed on Mondays, so we couldn't see him.  Sad day all around.

But, today he says Good-Bye to this:

and HELLO to his new Forever Home.  The days have been very long waiting for this little guy.  But we had a chance to puppy-proof the house, and to pick up all the things he needs:

• Food
• Bed
• Crate
• Leash
• Bowls
• Treats
• Rawhide and other chewy things
• Toys and more toys
• Shampoo
• Doggie sunscreen
• Toothbrush/paste

His first vet appointment is tomorrow - so he can get all checked out. But I can't believe how big he is already, to be only about four months. His teeth are so tiny and just coming in, so I know he is still a baby, but I'm having difficulty lifting him due to his sheer size.  I mention this because, I had every intention of recreating the Simba and Rafiki scene from The Lion King, but he is too big for me to handle like that, over my head.

BAAAAAAAAAA SOWENYA MAMABEATSEBABAH!!!!

Maybe I can convince DG to stand in as Rafiki.  I think he'll do it.
We are both really looking forward to taking Magnus out for walks, once he is healed from his sterilization procedure. And as the months pass, we'll be gradually adding distance little by little with some jogging.  With his high energy level, long legs, big feet, and slim athletic build, our pup has all the makings of a endurance runner - so we anticipate many happy years enjoying the trails with our new BRF.

Run Happy!-DisneyBride

p.s.  DG and I debated names for three days. Winston, Angus, Lancelot, and Buzz (of course!) were contenders.  In the end, Magnus won out. It means "Great One" in latin.
Do you run with your pet?
Have you rescued a shelter animal?
If you don't believe in Love at First Sight - run to your nearest animal shelter.  They will make a believer out of you.