Mona
Ten days before my birthday, in October of 2011, Sam decided to change our date night to a “let’s find a dog” night. On a whim, we stayed on the F train for a few more stops; we headed to Fort Hamilton Parkway. We arrived and used Google Maps to find Sean Casey Animal Shelter- a no kill shelter in Brooklyn where they take all animals, even the exotic sort.
We went with no idea of whether we would bring home a dog or cat- maybe a bird. The kind people at Sean Casey showed us all of their dogs and cats that were upstairs. We saw some lovely animals, but none of which we felt were “ours.” There were no magic moments.
As we decided to leave and try another day, feeling fully disheartened, one of the workers told us to wait. He asked what we were looking for, and when we stated we needed a small dog, full of personality, which is interested in people, and without aggression issues, he said he had the perfect dog.
We waited in their attached pet store, looking at the birds and kittens. In walked the worker and this lovely little energetic tri-colored dog that upon seeing me, jumped up to lick my hands. She had no fur left over one eye, her coat was very thin, and she was wheezing and coughing. I knew at that moment, she was ours.
It was weeks before they let us take her home because she was so sick from infections and kennel cough they were afraid she would not make it or she would be too sick for us to care for. We went back every day after work to walk her and she would cry every time we left, breaking our hearts. Sam and I began nesting- we bought her a pink heart-shaped metal name tag, a crate, bedding, ceramic dog bowls in an iron stand, researched food and veterinarians, and finally they said we could bring her home.
October 8, 2011 we brought home our little Mona doggy. There have been trials with training and an unexpected awkward period of getting to know each other, but Sean Casey’s behaviorist was there every step of the way. They helped us learn what she needed and wanted and helped us learn to cope with her separation anxiety.
It’s nearly a year later and she is a happy and healthy part of our family who is full of energy and quirks. We love every bit of her, the dog who licks our feet at night and our faces in the mornings, the dog who barks at anything she feels like, running from one side of our Brooklyn floor-through to the other, the dog who has opened our hearts in ways we never imagined.
By Tabitha A. Manwaring
September 18, 2012
