Riley came into our lives at a time of sadness and loss. We had, in the past six months lost our two "girls"; Stella our 15 yr. old Beagle/Shepard mix and Jomo our Tibetan Terrier (really she should have been called a Tibetan terrorist). The house was quiet, the rooms were filled with sad reminders and our hearts were broken.
What compelled us to go looking for a dog so soon after losing both dogs I don't know, but it was the best idea we had in a long time. We found Riley on Petfinders.com and thought, now there is one good-looking guy! After meeting Riley and the staff of HALO (who are nothing short of saintly) we decided that we might be ready to bring another fuzzy friend into the family. After talking with Joyce and taking a day to make sure we were ready to make a lifetime commitment, we decided the best thing for all of us was to join up and create a pack.
Since we got Riley he's had a "dogs life" including trips to the beach, walks in the mountains and coastal hills, playing in the snow, running along side of me on my mountain bike, entertaining friends and family, as well as chewing on his favorite bone. A couple of weeks ago we added a three-month old puppy to the team. Riley is trying to show the little one the way, but the truth is, the puppy in is charge despite being 1/10th Riley's size.
So our sad story has a very happy ending. Riley and his new sidekick will never replace the other dogs we had in our life, but they are weaseling their way into our hearts and spirits. Thanks to Riley (and HALO) the house is again full of joy, dog toys and a little fur. We couldn't be happier.
-- Mary and Laura
