I’m currently writing this with a snoring little puppy at my feet, and it’s like Christmas morning. Only this Christmas morning has lasted all week long and I’m not sure if this even belongs under that category anymore. It deserves it’s own kind of indescribable emotion. You know like the I just adopted my very own puppy kind of feeling. It feels so good to say that. Heck, I’ve waited years to say that.

My Love for Dogs

I grew up with some pretty amazing dogs in my family. I spent my summers out in the heat training them to do silly tricks and run through obstacle courses throughout my entire house. I made them dress up in crazy outfits and took pictures of them with my disposable cameras, which I’m pretty sure they hated but that’s beside the point. They were everything to me. Those slobbery smiles that were always happy to see you when you opened the door, even if you just walked out to get the mail. The cuddles and ear scratches and emanating love they shared, It always made my heart happy to be around a dog. Which is why it was never an option of whether or not I would have my own one day. I knew I would.

So I guess it’s a good thing Doug’s not allergic to them. ;)

After moving from tiny condo to tiny condo for the last however-many years, Doug and I finally planted roots in the charming town of Gilbert, AZ, built a house of our own, and I quit my day job to pursue my dream job of photographing weddings. We finally had a backyard for a dog to roam, my time at home to care for one, but no dog to speak of. It was around then that I started getting more and more people asking how in the world did I not have a dog already.

Almost There Foster Care

For a long time I’d had the urge to find somewhere I could volunteer my time. I didn’t know where or what I would do, but I did know I wanted to give back and possibly use my talents somewhere that might need them.

A few months ago I was scrolling through Facebook when I came across an ad for Almost There Foster Care, a facility that takes in large breed pregnant dogs and gives them a safe place to birth and raise their puppies before adoption. They were looking for volunteers to help care for the dogs and play with their puppies. Uhm, need I say more. I signed up pretty much immediately, and since then I’ve been living the dream of getting to play with puppies while I photograph them for their instagram (@almosttherefostercare) and adoption profiles!

A little over a week ago I went in to do the usual, going from kennel to kennel playing and photographing the pups, when I met this sweet little girl they called Daphne, a 4 month old Blue Heeler Mix. She was alone in her kennel and excited to have someone to play with but honestly just wanted some cuddles. After a few minutes of playing, and trying to understand the concept of fetch, she figured she would show off a little for my camera. That day I Instagram Storied my time at Almost There Foster Care and never have I ever received so many messages telling me to take that dog home with me. Haha!

Little did you all know, I had already been thinking the same thing.

I’m not sure I really need to say it, but I just fell in love with her. So the next step I had to take was to convince the husband that I needed her in my life. Fortunately for me, Doug is a saint and had already told me that if I brought a dog home one day, I had waited long enough and he would be okay with it. Now that would have been an awesome moment to capture on video, but I wanted Doug to love our dog just as much as I do. So I brought him to Almost There Foster Care to have a meet and greet with little “Daphne”, and later that day we drove her to our home to foster her for a couple of nights.

Folks, she may be a puppy, but she sure doesn’t act like a puppy. She was already potty trained while living at Almost There Foster Care, knew how to Sit on command, while learning other tricks within minutes, and hung out with me in my office while I worked at my desk. The perfect dog. She also offered some sweet kisses and cuddles when she thought it was time for me to take a break. We adopted her two days later.

We Adopted A Puppy!

So here she is friends! Our little Charlie Bear. Be prepared for me to go into full Dog-Mom mode, with plenty of photos to share from here on out. You’re welcome to all my fellow dog-lovers. ;) And be sure to check out our Instagram Stories (@brookeanddoug) for some photos and videos from the last week we’ve had with her! Like the one of me ugly crying in the car after we had just adopted her. You’re welcome for that too.

Cheers to happiness friends! The I just adopted my very own puppy kind of happiness.

Brooke & Doug