And then came Scout...

I had always had a dog growing up. In fact, the dog I had was born the same month as I was so we were always the same age. Her name was "toot". 

 Toot was a beagle mix and was a part of our family until I was in high school. New Years Day of my Freshman year in high school my dad had the awful job of taking her to the vet to be put down. She was sick and just getting worse.  We were both 15 years old.

Over the years there were other dogs that came and went. In my early twentys I breed Dalmations. I lost them in the divorce, then got them back, then had to give them up to a friend in Englewood because they were too much for me to take care of and the place I was moving to would not take pets. I went to visit them a few times. The female died a few years later from getting into anti-freeze, after that I didnt keep tabs any more.

Life went on and about 6 years ago I started thinking of getting another dog. I had just had my heart broken by the foster care system.  I was an emergency care foster mom to babies and toddlers and saying good bye to them was hurting my heart too much. I wanted one I could keep. My husband at the time did not want more children (he had three with a previous wife). So, we compromised and started looking for a dog.

Almost as soon as we put the thought out into the universe my mom called me. She had a tenant that had a yellow labrador that needed a new home. She had allergies , she said. Later I would come to figure out it was probably more a case of the new boyfriend not liking the dog, because she kept her other smaller dogs.

One afternoon shortly after that call they drove up in a convertible with a big smiling yellow lab in the back seat. We were introduced to "Scout". I believe he was about 6 months old at the time.  I was in love!

When he turned one, I ordered a tux from ebay and had a birthday party for him with some of our neighbors and their dogs. My best friend Lisa even ordered him a cake from a doggie bakery in Sarasota! He was getting just a little bit spoiled.

A few years later we would add Dakota to the family and then last year Dexter and DJ joined us. I think with four dogs we are done! The house has never been messier and it's very hard to fit all four in the jeep, although we have done it! They loved going to the beach together and we hope to do it again soon.

What a great life we have with our fur children!