Penny Lane’s Gotcha Day
Today is Penny Lane’s gotcha day. On this day six years ago, we woke up early for a drive to The Animal Welfare Society in West Kennebunk, Maine. We hoped that we would find that the puppy’s face we fell in love with online would belong to a puppy still available for adoption when we arrived.
We queued up on the sidewalk outside on a bright, sunny day. We were there early with two sleepy children in tow. We waited and hoped that the two or three families in front of us wouldn’t be there to meet the puppy we had our hearts set on. When we made it to the welcome desk, we asked if we could meet the puppy they were calling Wandi. They directed us to a large room and went to get her.
She bounded into the room, fearful of nothing. She was a wiggly ball of energy. Adorable, vigorous, and completely uninterested in the toys that were in the room. She wanted to play with these new people who had come to see her.
In a single moment, we all fell in love with her. I will admit that it’s easy to fall in love with a puppy. We sure did. No one said it, but we all knew for certain that this wrinkly grey puppy with piercing blue eyes was coming home with us.
We had brought a small crate with us for the ride home, but she settled right in with the kids in the backseat. She took a deep sigh, stretched out in the middle to make sure that she was touching both of them, and fell fast asleep. She slept the entire forty-minute ride home.
Six years later, Penny Lane’s personality hasn’t changed. She is full of joy and greets every day of her life with the excitement of a new adventure. She wants to be with her family above all else and snuggles in next to someone every night just like she did in the back of the car on that first ride home.
It’s true that there is no perfect dog any more than there is a perfect human. But she is absolutely the perfect dog for our family. She makes our farmhouse feel like home and I can’t imagine our days without her in it.
Happy gotcha day, Penny Lane. We love you.
What a lovely story. I hope you all have a great day with each other.
Thank you. She’s napping in the sunshine in her favorite window, so we’re off to a good beginning!
Happy gotcha day sweet Penny Lane – you couldn’t have found a better family with more love to give!
Thank you. We feel so lucky to have her as a part of our family.
Awwww! What a sweet story about a gorgeous girl!
We have our first “puppy” in about 18 years. We’ve had 8 adult dogs in that time. We delight in rescuing adult dogs, and current have 3 adults as well as the puppy.
We got Karma at 12 weeks old and she’s 7 month old now. I’d forgotten the challenges of puppyhood. I equate it to the way women who have more than one child forget the pain of childbirth in order to decide to have another. LOL
Sure, there are plenty of delights to balance, but I must say, I’m much more suited got adopting adults!
I have adored Penny Lane for many yrs! She is a beautiful girl and I have always wondered what her mix is? Our son adopted a mixed Beagle Pit puppy and his short fur reminds me of Penny Lanes.
Thank you for your kind words about Penny Lane. We rescued her from a local shelter and don’t know exactly what sort of mix she is. We just know that she’s the right mix for us!
I hope that your son is enjoying his new pup!