Happy 12th Gotcha Day Phod!

Lady: Happy Gotcha Day Phod

Phod: You are not going to sing are you? I hate it when you sing!

Lady: Sorry bud, I am going to sing to you all day. But first, I want to tell you the story of how I came to be the luckiest Lady alive, and have a Phod in her life.

Phod: I am not sure if retelling this story is better or worse than the singing, but go for it Lady, because I know it will make you happy and there is nothing I love more than making you happy.

A picture of Phod from the first year he lived with us

Lady: Ok, here it goes. In the spring of 2012, Man and I decided it was time to move. We were thinking about what part of the city to move to, when one day the Man said "Don't say no. I want you to think about it." So I of course immediately said no, and then he said "What about moving to the Quebec side? We could have trees, and hills and water." Now as you know, I don't really speak French and had some concerns, but I asked "Can I have another dog if we do?"  And the Man said yes. So we started a search for a house in Quebec and another dog. 

Phod: How did you find me Lady?

Lady: I was looking at all the rescues, and the rescue we got Hailey from. I reached out to them. At first, they said, read the profiles. Then Lady said, "I do, but it is hard to know who is a good fit. I want the opposite of Hailey." The woman who ran the rescue said there was a once in a lifetime dog, a very gentle soul they had recently taken from a shelter. If her dog wasn't so territorial, she would take him. He was a shepherd mix probably about one and a half named Zaphod. 

Phod: So, if another dog didn't need to be an only dog, I wouldn't have found you? 

Lady: Our lives would all be different Phod, but you would have been loved. We arranged to meet you and took Lee to a park with a fenced space near your foster mom's. You two played and got along well. We were sold. 

Phod: I am very handsome and sweet, so I can see why you were sold Lady. 

Lady: Then we were moving and we moved on August 2nd. Around this time we got a call saying that they were dropping a dog off not too far from us and if we were really interested, they would bring you on August 6. We were a little nervous, having just moved and people being worried about us getting a Shepherd mix. Sadly, this breed has some prejudices against it. But we took the plunge and said ok. You came. You walked into the house, looked around, lifted your leg and peed on our bed (the only time you ever did this) and you were home. And everyone who was nervous about us having a Shepherd mix wasn't the moment they met you.

Phod now

Phod: I am glad that I helped show people that it isn't the breed, it is the dog you should judge. I am sure the rescue people were nice and would have been great, but I am really, really glad you said yes Lady and picked me. I am glad Hailey is my sister (and not just because her behaviour has made anything I do look good in comparison). I love her and you and Man and the lake and the bush and the neighbours (who I miss a lot right now because they are on vacation), and Grammie and the Big Guy and Emma and Uncle Chris and Aunt C and her family and well almost everyone I have met, and my Precious even though I don't play with her anymore, and sleeping in the closet and well I love almost everything. I don't love the car or the vet. 

Lady: Phod - we love everything about you and we are so happy to be celebrating 12 years with you. 

Happy 12th Gotcha Day Zaphod!