Making memories with Bear Dog

When my wife Wanda and I decided it was time again to welcome a dog into our home, it was a tough decision between getting a young adult or puppy. It had been six or eight months since our beloved golden retriever Fluke had passed away from old age. Our children, ages 4 and 9, said they were ready for another dog. We all missed Fluke greatly but something was also missing in our daily lives – a dog. We had ideas of getting another golden and kept our eyes and ears open for one. Then one Saturday, when I was working in Corolla, the call came. A friend who worked part time at the Dare County Animal Shelter in Manteo called to say there was a beautiful, 14-month old golden named Dustin. In turn, I called Wanda and she raced over to the pound with the kids. Mere seconds late, she ended up being third on a list to get Dustin, which was truly a gorgeous dog. But as luck would have it, the next dog the kids saw was a mixed puppy named Ralph and they fell for him. So we went on a waiting list for him too. Days later, a call came that said Dustin was gone but Ralph was ours for the taking. Of course, the kids were thrilled. Wanda and I realized it was probably better for the kids to raise a puppy so they could learn how to care for a young dog. We also thought of the memories we could make. After cleaning up more than a few messes in the house, Wanda and I are getting used to the puppy we renamed Bear because of his thick black hair, short tail and stocky body. Although I still keep an eye out for golden retrievers, the entire ordeal has already been rewarding. The first day I took the dog to the kids’ bus stop, they both ran home through the front yards calling Bear, running with him and laughing the whole time. It’s a memory I will never forget. Here's the web site for the Outer Banks SPCA on Roanoke Island, N.C.