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Tucker
I always wanted a giant silver standard poodle.
I already had one rescue dog, a pug named Charlie I adopted from a local organization, but knew I had room in my home (and my heart) for another pup. After learning that the rescue I had previously worked with didn't have any dogs that would be a good fit for my family at the time (poodle or otherwise), I put the idea into the back of my mind.
Tucker's Craigslist photo.
Maybe it just wasn't meant to be. Fast forward to the summer of 2019.
I was browsing Craigslist, clicking around from listing to listing. I'm not sure exactly how it happened, but somewhere between the ads for apartment rentals and giveaway furniture, I remember seeing the "POODLE" in all caps and clicking.
And there he was. A sad-looking, very dirty poodle with a really, really bad haircut named Tucker. It was love at first sight.
Soon after laying eyes on Tucker's scruffy mug, I called for details. His backstory was this: He was 5 years old and he'd been a stud dog, used for breeding. His breeders were rehoming Tucker and we'd be his fifth home. Now, these details may have been red flags for anyone else, but me, I was smitten. I couldn't wait to meet this dog.
"I hope you actually come to get him. You are the least crazy-sounding person who has called about him," his owner told me on the phone.
Nice, I thought.
Tucker and his owner were about an hour north of me, so I recruited my friend Emily to come along. Not only is Emily a good pal, she's also nearly 6 feet tall, so I figured I'd be safe with her stature by my side (please never go to meet a stranger from Craigslist alone).
Megan meeting Tucker for the first time
As soon as we pulled up, a dirty poodle with a bad haircut ran to greet us. It was Tucker!
Just like the feeling I had when I first laid eyes on him on Craigslist, I was enamored from his very first sniff.
I took him home that day and he's been an incredible addition to our family ever since (he's actually sleeping at my feet as I write this).
So, what's the morale of this story? Rescuing a dog or other animal can change your life in a positive, meaningful way. No matter how what your rescue story is, giving an animal in need a safe, clean, and happy home is one of the best feelings in the world.
Tucker immediately fit into our lives, becoming best friends with his new siblings, barking at the mailman, running around in the yard, learning to use stairs, getting fixed, suffering a few bad haircuts, and all of those many other memories you collect when you share your life with a special little creature who was literally waiting for you to come along to love them.
If you are on the hunt for your new BFF, be sure to check out your local Humane Society, local rescue groups, and, well, maybe even Craigslist.
1 of 6 | Megan and Tucker, her rescue dog
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