Carver’s Adoption Story

Yesterday was my baby boy’s 5th birthday. He’s getting so old. He’s old enough to run for president of the Shih Tzu’s now but we talked about it and he’s got enough on his plate with nursing school and protecting the apartment. Maybe after graduation. It seems like just yesterday it meet him…

One fall day my family all had plans. My brother Chod was building a duck blind with his dad, I was in Chicago at the bridal expo with my dad, step-mom and sister and my mom was heading to an Iowa Hawkeye football game so we left our dog General Patton with some family friends. When they let Patton outside to use the bathroom, Patton took off down the highway in the direction my mom had left. Our friends tried to catch him but Patton had always been faster than any human and apparently a truck.

General Patton

Long, long story short.

Our entire community came together to look for Patton for over a month. 34 days to be exact. He was lost on private hunting land and traveled about a mile and a half before his journey came to an end. My mom and I never saw him but he was spotted by friends who weren’t fast enough to catch him several times. During this process we met a new neighbor who was retired, battling cancer and he enjoyed searching for Patton everyday from sun up until sun down. It gave him a reason to leave to house a get fresh air he said. My mom had a genius idea while Patton was missing, “when you lose your sunglasses, as soon as you buy a new pair you find your old pair” so she sent my grandpa to a farm in Southern Iowa to pick us out a new puppy. Even after most people had stopped searching for Patton, on day 34, our neighbor finally spotted Patton and he said it was as if Patton surrendered and walked right into the live trap. He was ready to go home. Little did he know what was waiting for him.

**Our amazing neighbor Don, who brought Patton home to us, sadly passed away too soon after we had just gotten to know him. My mom took General Patton to the funeral and Don’s wife said looking for Patton gave her husband something to do everyday and helped him through a very dark time in his life and she was so glad he was able to find Patton for us.**

Puppy Carver

My grandpa was sent for one puppy. He was going to pick it out and my dad was going to bring it to us when he came to Camanche for Senior Night. My grandpa saw the puppies and said he just couldn’t separate these two little dummies. He said they looked like best friends and the kid of brothers that have to stay together. So we got two puppies. Kinnick and Carver. One for me and one for my brother. But Patton did not enjoy coming home from his journey to two puppies in his house. We decided to keep one puppy and my grandma took the other. It was a hard decision but I knew Carver was the dog for me. He had a face that I was attached to and a personality that is always fun and friendly. Kinnick eventually went to live with my mom’s first cousin and he absolutely loves his life with her family. He is so loved and only slightly spoiled rotten. These dogs have us wrapped around their paws.

I got Carver when I was a senior in high school and I then spent two years at home attending community college so I spoiled him rotten for almost three years. We spent almost all of our time together. When I went to Iowa for a year and a half it broke both of our hearts to be apart. I couldn’t have him in my apartment but I did occasionally sneak him out there for a week or two when I needed a puppy fix. When I moved to the Des Moines area the only apartment requirements I had were to be pet friendly and on the first floor so he could have some sort of a yard. It really is all about him. And when he makes faces like this, it’s hard not to laugh at him and love him to pieces.

Beesh why are you taking my picture?

~Marissa