Adopting Rocco

We have a new family member! We welcomed Rocco [he was already named and Marina insists in keeping it as such] into our family on Thursday after adopting him from a local animal shelter. The search for the right dog for our family's two small kids was long and grueling. I have never seen so many sweet, sad-eyed dogs in need of love. The overcrowded, desperately needy city shelters were so vastly different from the privately funded SPCAs and similar organizations with their ample space, clean cages, and attentive staff. These people have the patience of saints and hearts of gold. I wanted to take them all home and found it difficult to choose. Then I saw Rocco. I almost passed him by because he has no features that jump out at you and he almost escaped my notice. But finally,his gentle eyes and wagging tail caught my eye and I was in love! He is fantastic with the kids and they adore him.
His first night in his new home, we figured out he had something wrong with his ears. They told us at the shelter that he had fly bites from being tied outside in the summer. It turned out to be a double ear infection! Poor thing was miserable. But, he is on the mend now.
We gave him his first bath in the tub this morning. He must not be a swimmer, because he definitely hated it. Oh well, he smells better at least.
We were so glad that he seemed calm and relaxed, no shoe chewing, jumping on the kids and the furniture, barking... But, after his bath, he seemed to have been renewed to puppy form and promptly found Soren's monster toy and promptly ripped both its eyes off! Some things just are too good to be true. That's ok, Roc, I forgive you for destroying my favorite toy. Uh, I mean, Soren's favorite toy. Grrr. :) Welcome to the zoo, Rocco!