ISO Shaggy Dog, Part 21: Puppy Reunion!!
From almost the moment we all left Petsmart with our new additions, looking equally elated and shell-shocked by what we had just taken on, I had wondered about Archie and Daisy's eight siblings. What did they look like? How big were they? Did they eat tissue like Archie, steal socks like Daisy, and cock their heads inquisitively at unfamiliar sounds? Most of all, did they miss their brothers and sisters who had shared their foster homes and would they recognize each other if they ever happened to see each other again? Several months before the puppies' first birthday, I had my first opportunity to get answers to some of these questions. While manning a booth at a pet event, miles from where we live, a woman came up to my table. After telling her about the nonprofit I was volunteering for, she mentioned that she and her daughter were volunteering at the event too. The organization they were supporting was MOMS VA, an animal rescue organization. "That's so cool! My husband and I adopted two puppies from MOMS VA in December," I said. The woman's eyes widened. "Did you adopt Archie and Larissa?" she asked excitedly. "Larissa" was Daisy's name before we adopted her. "Yes!" I replied. "How did you know?" She knew because Karen had also adopted her puppy, Apollo, from that same litter. Weeks later, again purely by chance, another of the puppy owners just happened to recognize Archie and Daisy at our nearby dog park. Donna had adopted Rhea, renamed Piper, who had shared the same foster home as Daisy. Those two meetings couldn't be a pure coincidence. Maybe they were the nudge I needed to plan a puppy reunion. How hard could [...]