A Really Good Friday

 Driving across Iowa is a beautiful experience.  Rolling hills, beautiful clouds, Good Company (John and two of his nine doggies.  We were on our way to Hearts United for Animals, a national No-kill Animal Shelter where I was in hopes to meet a new friend.

This is an overview picture I stole from their Web Site.

John picked me up in Des Moines at the Consistory and we got to the Shelter about 2:00.  We stopped for lunch and had wonderful hot beef sandwiches at a truck stop.  We made good time. John brought two of his doggies with us Arthur and Isolde They were good riders, slept in the back seat on the floor,

 John had adopted them from Hearts United and they were going along so that Carol (Left) the wonderful lady who runs the place could see how they were doing.  She was as delighted to see them as they were to see her.  They waited for us in a nice grassy area that was fenced in for that purpose.

(Carol is an amazing woman.  She started this shelter and knows most of the dogs and their history and can tell you about them.  They have rescued dogs from Puppy Mills, Dogs saved from Katrina and the tornadoes.  She has dogs there which no one would take and who will live out their lives loved by the folks who work there.  I saw blind dogs and dogs who had been mistreated.  Dogs who had been chained up or kept in tiny cages in filthy conditions.

The dogs I saw were clean and living in clean cages.  They were healthy and well fed and cared for.  John and I talked a lot about Carol on the way over and back and we both agree that we would nominate her for sainthood.  We also agree that there is a special place in hell for those who mistreat these animals...a place where they will be kept tied up with a chain and kept outside and fed occasionally and no one to speak to them..)

 One of the staff members greeting them.  Isolde is a Corgi and Arthur is a long haired Dachshund.  His hair is soft and silky. Both of them are super dogs.

 This is a large socialization room  These dogs all were barking and greeting us.  For a moment I thought Bailey was in there.  There was a Yorkie that looked just like him sleeping under the table.  That was hard to see. There are a lot of buildings where the doggies can be outside and then come inside when they want. They all want attention and will lick your hand through the cage.

 There are just two or three dogs (usually) in  a pen. In one pen there was a very active dog and another one who held back and just looked at me with those beautiful eyes.  I had looked at and listened to about 400 dogs and was feeling somewhat overwhelmed.  I remembered this one in particular so I asked about her.  Her owner had worked for the railroad and had to give her up because of economic reasons.

We waited in the "meet and greet" room and they went down and brought her up.  She knows several tricks and was calm and it just seemed that she needed to come home with me where it was calmer and quieter.  She rode in the car wonderfully.  Jumped right in and seemed to know she was going home.

Again a beautiful drive across Iowa to get to Des Moines.  

                                                                           Potty Break time.

Switched to my car.. Still riding inside.

Our doggies Ride inside.

A beautiful sunset on the ride home between Des Moines and Ames.

She got out of John's car and into mine just like she knew what she was supposed to do.  I got her home and let her out back.

 Showed her where the water was and fed her but she wasn't hungry.  Instead she came in the living room and lay down beside me on the floor.

At one point she sat up and leaned up against my leg and looked up at me with love in her eyes as if she was saying "Thanks for choosing me, I will be a good friend for you."   

I cannot tell you how happy I am to have her. I will always miss Bailey but I am glad I can give a home to Molly and I think she will enjoy living here.  Miss Cassie does not know what to think about her ...

Saturday Morning Addendum:

This morning My new friend Lady Molly greeted me with a smile and a beautiful tail wag. As far as I can tell she didn't move from my side all night. She went outside and explored the back yard and came back in and ate and drank and got some more petting and now is sitting beside me content and loving. I am a fortunate man