Could this be fate?

Back in 2007, my Husband and I were living down here in Jacksonville on base. Noah was about 6 months old. At the time, we had a cat, Sammi. Every weekend, down the road at the local Rosses, people would sit by the side of the road with crates and boxes full of puppies for sale. And every weekend, Id make Aaron drive in there, "just to look" - this was any normal weekend of me saying, "Aweee, can we have that one, PLEASE!?" only to be turned down because they were all so expensive. But just as we were getting ready to leave, in pulls this truck, and out hops the guy. He opens his tailgate, and what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a litter full of puppies!

So I hope back out of the truck and run over. I see all these cute little fur balls. Most of them were brown or black but I spotted this little yellow one that stood out like a sore thumb. I scooped him up and looked at my Husband with that face that says, "puhleeesseee" - Aaron asked the guy how much, and the guy said, "FREE!" - There was no way that Id let my Husband pass up this adorable puppy. And 15 minutes later, he was ours.

My Husband named him "Scout" and I think it fit him perfectly!
Scout was very hyper. But tons of fun. When he was a baby, Id take him on walks with me around the block. He wouldn't be able to keep up, so I had to stick him in the bottom of the stroller and wheel him around. Once he was big enough, he was my running partner. Id take him out to the gate and let him off the leash and let him run the mile down and the mile back with me. He was my buddy..

(I wish these pictures wernt so small)

Anyway, in September, my Husband reenlisted in the Marine Corps and got orders to Quantico, Va. But it turns out that the base housing wait in VA was 5-10 months long. And we didn't want to live off base, so Aaron sent Noah and I to live in NY with my parents until we got base housing. The only problem was my Father didn't want Scout to come with us. I begged and pleaded to no avail. And with no choice left, I put him up on a local online yard sale page. A few days later, a woman wanted to take him. So I met her in the parking lot at Kmart. She had 3 kids and seemed pretty nice. I cried while I was giving him to her. I couldn't believe that I was giving my puppy that I HAD to have to some stranger. He was only 6 months old. I was all he had known. But I didn't have any other option.

As I watched them drive away, I sat in my car and cried. After about 10 minutes of that, I drove back home where I continued to cry on and off for the rest of the night. I never saw Scout again...

Fast forward 4-5 years.

Here we are, back in Jacksonville. We're pretty established. We have two kids, just bought a house, a big fenced in yard, and another dog. (Gunner)

Yesterday, I get a phone call from Lejeune Animal Control asking me if I had lost my dog. I looked down to Gunner who was at my feet, and said, "nope" - he asked if I was sure..and that he had a dog there whos microchip was coming back to my name. And then he said, "Scout" - I could NOT believe my ears!

I explained to him the situation and then said that the lady I gave him to probably never had his microchip changed into her name. He said that Scout has been running around base for 5 days and that they've finally caught him. He said that he has a choker collar on him and looks like he'd been tied out the majority of his life. My heart just breaks hearing this. I can only imagine him going home with that lady and her getting sick of him after a week and just tieing him out and leaving him.. that is NOT a life for a dog. ..

Anyway, this blast from the past is so crazy to me. I ask the guy what he's going to do with him. He tells me that he's going to give him to the county shelter where he will be held for 10 days. If no one claims him, he'll be put up for adoption or put to sleep. My heart sinks when I hear that he could be put to sleep and I just blurt out, "before anyone puts him to sleep, PLEASE call me. If no one adopts him, CALL ME FIRST" And he takes my name and number down and says he will. And that I should call back on Monday and start making arrangement's in case no one claims him over the weekend..

Then I get thinking, "what if he hates kids? Or he can't get along with Gunner? I take this dog into my house and he just can't get along with anyone? What have I gotten myself into?" And then I get nervous thinking maybe Ive made the wrong choice..But something in my heart says this is the right choice..I feel like this is ultimately my responsibility.. I picked that puppy out of a litter. I had to have him, I loved him, and now, I need to save him..

So I'm all kind of excited over here. I believe that it's totally fate that this far down the road, Scout and I will (hopefully) meet up again. I got to talk to my Husband this morning and I told him all about it. He said that I did the right thing and that there was no way he was going to let Scout be put down. So, YAY!

I was thinking about driving over there today to take a look at him, but I don't want to the boys to be with me and have no one to watch them. So I'll have to wait until Monday and call and see if anyones claimed him yet..

I'll keep you all updated as this unfolds. :)