Devo did not come home.  We have looked for him for a week, at shelters, in neighborhoods, online…  There just seems to be no sign of him anywhere.  It’s my hope that someone kept him and is caring for him now.  That would be the best case scenario, short of him returning home.  We’ve decided that, should he return, we will not be keeping him.  Unfortunately, we learned from the Whippet Rescue group that, after 3 days, he will become feral and will need to be re-domesticated.  Given that he was supposed to be a therapeutic companion for the fireman, this just would not work.  I can’t imagine poor Devo, trying to be re-introduced to society, while my tempermental child screams at random moments and throws fits regularly.  If I was Devo, I would want to go back to the wild rather than deal with that torture.
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During the many hours that I spent online searching the shelters, I came across Charlie at a local rescue.  He’s a little white-haired terrier that weighs all of 9 pounds and is as mellow as they come.  I read that he was going to be at the Petco near my house on Saturday for an adoption clinic, so the fireman and I made the one-freeway-exit trip to see the little fellow.  Turns out that we weren’t he only ones interested in Charlie, but after explaining our situation to the adoption team, they were sure that Charlie would make a terrific companion for the fireman and that we would make a great home for Charlie, so they let us take him home.  After they bled my wallet dry, that is.  Love is expensive.

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Charlie hasn’t left my lap since we got him home.  He loves to be held like a baby, with his head resting on your shoulder.  He will let anyone hold him and instantly falls asleep in their arms.  He’s so mellow that we were worried about him the first night.  Bruno was certain that I had let my soft heart overrule my rational mind when forking over our hard earned money for this newest family member.  I could see it in his eyes all night: “If this dog is sickly, I’m never going to let you live this down.”
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The fireman has fallen in love with Charlie.  He loves to walk him and play with him and feed him.  He wants Charlie to sleep in bed with him.  It’s absolute puppy love and it’s the most amazing and heart-warming thing that I’ve ever seen.

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I really hope that Charlie plans on sticking around for a while.