In my early twenties, it wasn't practical for me to have a dog. My schedule didn’t provide the best environment, and I wasn't that reliable either. But after ending a decade-long relationship, I decided to work on myself and really focus on being a strong, reliable woman.

Eventually, I met Juan, and we began building our future and our home together. Finally, the time was right to adopt a dog. We started our search on the annual "Clear the Shelters" weekend in Austin, but all the dogs were stressed, likely due to the crowds. Juan suggested we come back the next weekend when there weren't so many people so we could better see the dogs temperaments. The following weekend we saw that Texas Humane Heros was hosting an adoption event outside our local PetCo, and that’s when I saw him! This ten-week-old pit bull/Labrador (and more) mix they called Meloo had been found in a box with his brother and dropped off at Texas Humane Heros.

I always thought I would just know which dog was supposed to be mine. But here I was staring at this adorable puppy, full of questions. Having grown up with a rat terrier, I was apprehensive about a large dog. I feared we might not bond or that I wouldn't care for him properly. I had waited so long to open my heart and home to a dog that I was anxious and overthinking everything. Juan and I stepped aside to talk, and that's when it happened: someone else approached to look at him—at my puppy! And in that second I knew, Meloo was my dog.

We named him Theodore Graham (a.k.a. Teddy Graham), and now we just call him Graham. When we first brought him home, Graham was full of excitement for everything he encountered. We called him “Scrappy Doo” because he ran headfirst into everything. He would get overexcited around other dogs, pulling on his leash and always wanting to play rough or say hi. (With training, he learned to behave much more appropriately on his leash.) Now that he’s a bit older, he’s a little more apprehensive about things like loud noises, but we’re happy to give him a little extra time to investigate new things.

Watching Graham grow and develop his own unique personality has been the most joyful experience.

A Note from Graham
My “Gotcha Day” was the best day of my life. I was the star of the show at the adoption event! A few prospects came by, but they weren’t the humans I was looking for. Then I saw them, and it was time to lay on the charm. I played it cool, giving them a little bit of that cute puppy butt and a couple tail wags. A few kisses later, I had it in the bag.

I’ve never known abuse, neglect, or major hardship, but my fellow pups haven’t all been so lucky. That’s why I work my tail off at fundraisers, charity functions, playdates with fellow fosters, and any other chance I can sniff out. It also why I’m training hard to show that mutts can be therapy dogs, too.

And I really am a mutt—DNA testing proved it! German Shepard? Sure. Boxer? Maybe. Pitt Mix? If that’s your fancy. Catahoula? Sounds good. Ridgeback? Wouldn’t doubt it. But whatever I’m made up of, there’s one thing I have in common with every other dog: love. The love we mutts have to give knows no limits, and it isn’t bound by breed.

My family adopts, fosters, donates, volunteers, and shares, doing everything they can to turn best-case scenarios into everyday scenarios. I encourage all you dogs and your families to do the same so every pup can find a fur-ever home just like I did.