Encountering Bella the Foster shih tzu at PetSmart

When our 14-year-old Yorkshire terrier died a year and a half ago, I didn’t have any idea that an encounter with a shih tzu named Bella and her foster mother would be the first step in getting another dog.

John and I had talked several times about getting another dog, but we’d always put it off. At first, it was too sad to think about replacing Joey. Also, I promised my sister Sandy that we would visit her in Florida before we got another dog, since Joey kept us from traveling together for many years.

Dogs can also get expensive, especially if they have medical problems, and we had our share with Joey, including the fact that she was a breast cancer survivor. Also, since I have been freelance writing and editing for the last few years, and haven’t had a full-time job, it never seemed to be a good time to get a dog.

On March 5, my mom, John and I were headed to the Brewery Bar II in Denver. My niece and nephew were moving to North Dakota because of Herman’s new job, and he was leaving a few months earlier than Heather and the boys. Herman wanted Mexican food for his going away party.

We picked up Mom a little early, so we decided to stop at PetSmart. It’s always “doggy alert” when we am there, and John and I spotted a cutie right away. We went up to say hi, and asked her person what and who she was. She told me she was a shih tzu and her name was Bella. We talked for a few minutes and she told me Bella was her foster dog. She said she was fostering her through the Evergreen Animal Protective League. As we talked, she told me about a medical condition Bella had. We also talked about the fact that she was a little heavier than the average shih tzu.

Later that day, I was still thinking about Bella. I couldn’t resist looking up the EAPL and looking at her picture. I fleetingly wondered if I was ready for another dog, and I looked at the site several times to see her picture. Her adoption fee was $300. That is a common amount for an adoption fee for a dog of her breed, but I didn’t think I should be spending that much on a dog at this time in my life. And that would just be the beginning. Her medical condition probably required ongoing medication, and I didn’t have very good luck controlling Joey’s weight, so a dog with just a few extra pounds worried me.

What Other Shih Tzus Need a Home?

With a small touch of dog fever, I also looked at the Denver Dumb Friends League site, and saw a shih tzu named Happy Flower that I thought about going to see. But I didn’t do anything. Too many things to stop me — mainly money. I decided not to do anything about finding a new furry friend just yet.