We Are Now A Family of Three

Some changes are hard to wrap one’s head around. Some, like moving, take awhile to really settle in.

I like the kind of changes that doesn’t feel like adjustments at all, the kind that feel like the way things were supposed to be all along. That’s the kind of change Juno has been.

The best thing about our new apartment, besides its fenced-in yard and proximity to everything in town, is that pets are allowed (they were not in our last apartment, where we were for two years). So as soon as Andy finished painting and we finally felt settled in, it was time to visit the nearby Columbia-Greene Humane Society.

There, we came face to face with this husky/shepherd/basenji mix for the first time:

The other dogs were all barking, as if to say ‘Pick me! Me, me, over here!’ But Shera, as the humane society called her, was just sitting there, quiet as a mouse and looking sad and tired. We were immediately drawn to her: her eyes, her small size, her lack of barking. We picked up an adoption application and headed home, where I immediately Googled ‘shepherd husky mix’ and read everything I could about possible temperaments and behaviors.

That was on the last Saturday in August. On the following Wednesday, we handed in our application and eagerly asked if we could walk her. They told us she wasn’t ready to be adopted yet but they wrote her name at the top of our application and said they would let us know when we could take her out. We lingered in front of her for a little bit longer, but she wasn’t really interested in much as long as she was still inside her kennel.

At this point, I was thinking about her all the time. When we walked around town, I imagined her walking with us. Luckily (amazingly?), we didn’t have to wait much longer. The humane society called us back the following weekend and said we were now number one on the list to adopt her, and we were welcome to come walk her around the grounds.

On Monday, September 8th, we discovered that our 30-lb mix has the softest coat of all time. She was excited to  be outside, showing no fear or nerves whatsoever. She was more interested in exploring than in paying attention to us, but we figured that would pass. When the walk was over, they asked us when we would like to take her home. Oh my goodness!

We scrambled to get a crate, bed, toys, and brush. We ordered a big bag of food from Chewy.com. And on Thursday of that week, newly christened Juno came home with us. Here she is, on our first walk at a park just outside of Hudson:

Her eyes continue to be the thing that random people comment on the most.

She likes posing for reflection photos:

being the Guard of the Jack o’ lanterns:

going for hikes in the woods:

playing in the snow:

and running. Juno definitely loves running.

Also, she likes to cross her paws, which is totally adorable:

I 100% believe all the studies that say dogs are wonderful for alleviating symptoms of depression and anxiety. You know how sometimes you might retreat inside yourself when around other people, because you don’t feel you have much to offer? I obviously don’t have to explain anything to Juno; she sits besides me and keeps me company (even in the bathroom!) and doesn’t ask for anything else.

She’s such a warm, loving companion who would just love to have her belly rubbed all the time. Right now, she’s curled into a tiny ball next to me on the couch. She’s my little Junebug, and I’m so happy to have her.