Story #56: The Best Lunch Break of My Life
As told by Dan Smiley, Adopter
On October 22, 2019, I was not planning to adopt a dog.
I had a half day at work because I was heading to a Chicago Blackhawks game that night. Earlier that morning, we received a flyer about a meet-a-pet event at the Westin in Itasca. I figured I would stop by during my lunch break, pet a few dogs, and then get on with my day.
That was the plan.
When I walked into the event, there were dogs everywhere. My friends and I split up to look around, but it did not take long before I noticed him. His name was Max. He was nine years old, sitting quietly, just hoping for attention.
There was something about him.
While everyone else moved on to meet other dogs, I stayed right where I was.
I sat with him, pet him, and looked into his eyes. It felt like he was waiting for someone. I never left his side.
I called my wife, Stacey, and said, “We are bringing this dog home.”
We had not planned on getting a second dog. We already had Vega, and I truly had only gone to pet dogs for fun. But when I learned Max’s backstory, it broke my heart. He was older and had already been through so much.
Whatever time he had left, I wanted it to be in a home where he felt safe and loved.
I could not take him home that day, but two days later, Stacey and I went back and made it official.
We changed his name to Zero, after The Nightmare Before Christmas.
It just fit him.
From the moment he walked in the door, Vega welcomed him with open paws, and just like that, he was part of our family.
Zero came with some medical challenges.
He had recurring nosebleeds and a heart murmur that we knew could get worse over time. We understood going into it that our time together might be limited, and that is the hard part about adopting a senior dog.
You fall in love, knowing the clock may be moving faster than you would like.
Then COVID hit, and the world slowed down.
While so much felt uncertain, we were given an unexpected gift. We were home constantly, which meant more time with Zero than we ever could have imagined. We got to know him deeply. We saw how much he loved Vega and how he would protect her from loud noises and storms. Beneath his quiet demeanor was a total cuddle bug who wanted to be close.
He made our family feel complete in a way we never expected.
After about a year, his nosebleeds became more frequent, and his heart murmur got worse.
We knew the time had come to let him go peacefully.
Saying goodbye was one of the hardest things we have ever done. Spending so much concentrated time together during COVID deepened our bond, which made the loss even heavier.
But I would not change a single second.
That lunch break, the one I almost skipped, became the most important lunch break of my life. What was supposed to be a quick visit turned into us growing our family and giving a senior dog the love he deserved.
Adopting an older dog is not always easy.
The uncertainty can be intimidating, and you know your time may be short, but the love they give you in that time is immeasurable.
Zero changed us. He showed Vega what it meant to have a protector and companion. He taught us that senior dogs still have so much life and love to give.
And sometimes, the best decisions are the ones you never planned to make.
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