If you noticed it’s been a little quiet on the blog lately, it’s because my schedule has been filled with quality time and responsibilities with our new puppy! Blog friends, meet Kaira!
Will and I have been talking about getting and having a dog for a while now. I had “raise a dog baby” on my life list but I had been trying to convince Will (and maybe myself) to actually do it. We both grew up with dogs but we’ve never had our own as adults. We’ve browsed adoption listings online and even went to the animal shelter. The dogs and the timing never seemed right. We always had upcoming vacation plans or maybe we weren’t ready so we grabbed whatever excuse we could.
Then that desire became a little overwhelming and I told Will all I wanted for my birthday this year was a dog. After the wedding festivities and honeymoon, adding a dog to our family felt right to both of us and we were excited to start looking.
Our Adoption Story
A friend of a friend was fostering puppies through Austin Pets Alive and posted a photo of them on Instagram. I immediately messaged her and we set a date to meet them. The morning of our meeting, we found out those two puppies were going forward with other adopters and we wouldn’t get to meet them after all. We were bummed but figured we’d check the Austin Pets Alive website a few days later when the six other puppies in the litter staying with other fosters would be added.
We saw Kaira’s blurry photo and decided to go meet her. It’s hard not to be smitten by a puppy. She was the cutest and loved sassing her brother. We sent in our application that night and took her home two days later.
Our Pup Kaira
Kaira is named for our love of the ocean (Kai is Hawaiian and Japanese for ocean), for the country where we got engaged (Egypt’s capital city is Cairo), and for the opportune moment (Greek meaning) she was born and came into our lives. She was born on our wedding day.
We’re not quite sure of her breed but we think she is part pitbull because of her brindle coat and part labrador because of her face. We bought an Embark Dog DNA test to find out! She is getting the hang of our routine and our home and she loves showing us how smart she is. She LOVES her Earth Animal No-Hide Stix (rawhide alternative). Judging by her growing pile of toys, she is becoming quite spoiled (my fault), and we’re excited to watch her grow.
Our hearts grew three sizes when she came into our lives. She’s a puppy and a challenge so far. While we’re still trying to navigate the struggle of being woken up in the middle of the night, biting our hands and feet, potty training (using all the cleaning supplies from this partnership!), trying to chew on everything, and all the other puppy things, we’re also glad she’s ours.
Conclusion
Thank you, Austin Pets Alive (team, fosters, volunteers, etc), for rescuing pups like Kaira, for making the adoption process seamless, and for supporting Austin’s love of animals! Support from the community helps this organization run. In the giving spirit, consider donating to the organization or visiting one of their local thrift shops. They also need volunteers and fosters.
Now, I need ALL the tips about being a dog parent. Any tricks, toy recommendations, or tips about having a dog in general or in Austin? Or tell me about your pet!
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