Last week Bryan approached me with a deal. The deal was, if I did not talk about a car for 1 year then we could get a puppy. I was shocked and eagerly accepted his terms. I launched head first into a huge investigation of what kind of dog we should get. I called breeder after breeder asking lots of questions. My concern with getting another Shih-tzu was that the kids would not have a play dog. Rueben is a lap dog who follows me around constantly. Clay wants a dog with a little more energy.
Grace has allergies, Clay wants spunk, so the soft coated wheaten terrier looked like an option. I went to bed that evening thinking of how big the poo would be from a wheaten terrier and my mind turned back to the shih-tzu.
On Thursday I remembered that the pulse-journal (local paper in Mason) is delivered. Sure enough, I found an add for shih-tzu's in Blue Ash. I rung the ad and the woman on the end of the phone sounded like Flo from the show Alice. Remember "kiss my grits?" She told me that she had incredible shih-tzus, yorkies, and maltese. I had a bad feeling about this but she was so close by that I had to look. I get the kids in the car and explain that we are just going to look.
This woman's home reminded me of my roots in Somerset, KY. There were 4 cars in the driveway or front yard and various pens for creatures of all kinds. She approached my car with her cigarette hanging from her rhinestone studded finger nails. Although she was very kind, I knew right away that this was a "puppy mill". Out comes her friend with a stroller full of 3 week old maltese pups who resemble the rodents I just dismissed. She had yorkies, pugs, pregnant shih-tzu's. A bit over-whelming. Out struts this darling puppy who resembled a shih-tzu. She tells me he is her STUD. He is actually 2 years old and his goods go for $500.00 a pop.
She rambled about how she paid $2500.00 dollars for him and how his papers where on top when it came to pedigree. Grace completely fell for him and so did Clay. She explained that she would be willing to part with him if the right people dropped by. Completely full of it, this lady was cleaning house and I just happened to get caught in the middle. I couldn't let this poor guy live a life of prostitution, I had to help him.
I call Bryan, no answer. I call the club and they said he checked in a 1/2 ago. We were close so I put the kids in the car and drove to get permission. I find Bryan on the stair stepper watching CNBC. I climb on the neighboring steps and attempt to explain the situation. He doesn't look at me, he just keeps shaking his head. He then stops the machine, looks at me in the eyes and says....."I don't want our kids to ask for anything else, this is it &*%$#, do you understand?" I nodded and drenched in sweat, he joins the kids in my car.
On the drive there I was attempting to explain the crazy puppy woman. Bryan seemed to like the little guy. The puppy lady was going on and on about this dog and how much he cost. Meanwhile Bryan is playing with this fake Palm Tree she has planted in the yard. She notices and says.... " Do you like my tree? I figure fake trees are better, no up keep!" Bryan later tells me that this woman reminds him of his patients. He does have a soft side. Probably softer than I do.
Okay, I will get to the point. We took the little guys home. I brought him to the vet yesterday and he has an eye infection. Then I got him groomed and he looked darling. For all the money he was "worth" he was a neglected little guy. Rueben has handled the situation quite well. We named him Romeo due to his prior lifestyle. I plan on getting him fixed next week. We finally found a answer to our pet situation. All 4 Strader's are happy.
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