A real life meet cute…
You all know Waylon’s side of the story… a cute country pup turned windy city celebrity… but have you heard the tale from my perspective? Read on for the silly story of how our paths miraculously crossed on a snowy Saturday afternoon!
I knew I wanted to rescue a pup and had been visiting shelters for months. Stalking Instagrams and websites was an understatement… There are so many cute dogs that need a home!
I was looking for something vague yet specific. I had no preference on breed but knew a pup under 25 lbs would be easy to fly with; I wanted a boy because that’s what I had growing up… but also didn’t care about gender that much; The pup had to be an adult because I was not about to handle potty training alone… I was ready to bring a fury friend home.
November 17th was a wet, snowy Saturday and I once again stopped by the Anti Cruelty Society but didn’t click with a single dog. Do you know how depressing it is to not connect with any dog… I almost gave up because aimlessly walking around a wintery Chicago is no fun but for some reason I decided to bypass my apartment and went straight to Paws Chicago.
The staff greeted me with warm smiles to make up for the weather outside. We had a wonderful conversation about my lifestyle and the best type of pet to add to it. An active, friendly little buddy… “you are going to love Waylon!”
They brought me to a room for a meet and greet but he was no where to be found. I hung out with two other dogs while I waited. The pups were cool but I thought I was about to go home alone when I heard “we found him!” from the hallway.
Dogs were being shifted around and little Waylon was sitting in a crate patiently waiting for his next move. I saw his face and thought “yep, that’s my guy”.
I went back to the room and a Paws staff member walked him to me. I could see him on a leash, trotting down the hall, wagging his tail. We spent an hour playing while the Paws guy explained the logistics of bringing home a rescue. Eventually I looked right at him and said, “this is my dog” and he replied with “I know and I’ve been waiting for you to figure it out too…”
Waylon is me if I were a boy dog… we both love hard and have a just a little anxiety. He taught me that perfection doesn’t exist and that accidents happen if you eat too many treats. He showed me how to be present; dogs don’t distract themselves with iPhones and they definitely don’t have FOMO on the weekend. He let me how that patience and persistence go hand in hand; I get teary eyed seeing him run off leash because I almost gave up trying… (we’re still trying to conquer baths… that’ll be a story for another day).
Opening my home to Waylon was one of the top three best decisions of my life. I wonder every single day if he knows that… But then he confirms by drowning me with face kisses!