Last summer when Little Dog died, I was not sure we would get another.

But come Christmas, I was searching the Petfinder.com site for the dog who was looking for us.  We had taken in puppies before but this time we wanted to rescue.

In February, I thought we might have found the one.  She was the dog with the floppy ear and the hair that stuck out from her face.

Her picture captured our hearts.  She had been given the name Yatzee, after the game.

We completed the online adoption application and waited.  The rescue organization responded and made arrangements for us to meet her.

Sweet William was already captivated by Yatzee’s picture, while I was trying to remain neutral.  We needed to meet this dog, test the waters, see if she would be a good fit for us.  I tried to convince him to remain impartial as we headed to a neighboring city on a late night drive.

In the parking lot of a shopping center, the kind folks who rescue and care for the strays, the forsaken, and the lost brought out this brown and white scruffy-looking dog, her tail tucked between her legs, obviously nervous and unsure about this chance meeting.  She had already endured a lot in her young life.  It was only natural that she would be apprehensive of new people.

We brought treats in hopes of making friends.  She was reserved but eagerly took the treat from our hands.  I walked her on a leash.  I knelt down and looked into her face.

And Sweet William and I opened our hearts to her.  We offered this once-stray dog a forever home, a family.

While we waited for the adoption to finalize, we searched for girl names for dogs.  Maisie was the one we both agreed on, and it seemed to fit her.

The day came for us to bring her home.  We wondered how this was going to work.  We had never adopted an adult dog before, not one who had to scrounge for herself during her young life.

She was nervous when we brought her in and introduced her to the house.  She stayed quiet for a few days.  But eventually she began to realize she was here to stay.  Maybe she understood in a doggie way that we were not going to hurt her or shove her out or send her packing.

We were her people.

We are still adjusting, Maisie and us.  We are learning her needs and she is learning ours.  She now runs through the house like a dog set free.  She walks down the lane with me like she owns the place.  She eyes the goose and really, really wants to chase him.

She has made friends with the neighbors and their dogs. She has accepted visiting family and visiting dogs and played with the best of them.  She is learning to be obedient as we are learning to teach her.

What I know for sure is that Maisie has brought excitement and activity to the Wright House again.  We laugh at her antics (though not all of them).  She has us outside in the sunshine a lot more.  Someone welcomes us lavishly when we come home again.

Maisie will teach us more lessons about unconditional love, forgiveness, and loyalty.  We will learn more patience, tenderness, and again see how God uses all of nature to show us Himself.

We are her forever family.  And she is our little girl.

If you are interested in giving a pet a forever home,

please consider rescuing an animal that needs you.