Slate

The story that sounds like a fairy tale or dream, really does have a happy ending…

It was a cold snowy morning, work was cancelled for most, but our employers said “work from home”. Caitlin and I spending a rare night apart fired up our laptops. Cait began working hard on spread sheets and numbers, whilst I began flickering the screen, making the appearance that I was working. I blurted out-loud to our friend Matt, “I want a dog”, to which I was stunned to hear him reply, “then get one”. So the search was on, picture after picture, reviews on rescues, and just that “perfect” breed. I sent pictures to Cait anxious to get her approval, as our plan all along was to get a dog when we moved in together. Just a few months early I thought to myself, and there was this adorable puppy staring at me. Cait, still weary of my new role with Amazon and the travel that would require cautiously said lets think about it, so on the night before Valentines day, Cait wrote me a message “Slate can be ours”. I woke up that morning and read these words. I didn’t know that those words would change our lives forever, bringing us closer together as a couple and building our family. The story typically ends here, after a short interview, commitment, and adoption day would be around the corner, but there was so much more.

As we anxiously awaited the arrival of Slate one cool afternoon, Caitlin and I sat down for lunch.
Slate would arrive just a few hours later, roughly 11 pounds and 12 weeks old. My mom called us to tell us congratulations, and remind me that I lost my Aunt five years ago to the day of adopting Slate. I was instantly brought to tears. Auntie Lu had made it a mission of her’s and Uncle Kevins to rescue dogs and give them a second chance at life, in their case, they adopted senior dogs. Little did I plan to be following in her path on the day she passed. Slate, has changed our life forever. He is now 11 months old, weighs about 75 pounds and is the biggest goof ball around (he even got class clown award at day care!). Caitlin and I enjoy his endless amount of energy, his loving heart (not a mean bone in his body, in fact when another dog barks at him, he immediately succumbs and looks at you like,(“why are they barking at me?”), and the fact that so easily we could give him a clean “slate” on life.

Adopting a dog from a shelter was something we both dreamed of, but in reality, the dream was completed by Slate and Animal Rescue Front. There are thousands of pictures online, but your heart will gain instant love the second you see your new family member for the first time. Now every day, I wake up to start my day by enjoying walks down the Charles with Cait and Slate, knowing that Auntie Lu is looking down and smiling that we gave him a great home.

Jon & Cait + Slate 🙂