Well if anyone ever reads this I guess I should tell a little about myself.
I'm called Charity by most everyone. I am quite sure I am called something less flattering behind my back by the step-kids. I live in Dixon IL with my boyfriend/fiance and our 3 kids. I have one daughter from first marriage named Josey who is 14. Shane (the above mentioned S.O.) has 3 kids total. Dominque, 13, who lives in North Carolina with her mom. McKayla, 10, and Shane, 8. We live in a big ol rambling rented farmhouse on the southern edge of Dixon Illinois. We have a whole mess of animals. We have 3 outdoor barn cats. Boo, Brownie and Oreo. Tucker and T.T. are the indoor kitties that Josey and I helped the mother give birth to. There is a large tank full of fish in the living room that I sometimes remember to feed. We also have a Border Collie mix dog named Bella who is the latest edition to the family. She is 7 months old and quite the handful.
We were told by the people that we got her from that she was German Shepard/Lab mix. We wanted a dog for protection as someone broke into one the barns and stole almost all of our firewood for the winter. The neighbors also walked in one day to give us a Christmas treat and we never knew they were in the house. That scared me as they could have been real robbers or some other bad person. So hence the wanting of the protection of a fierce dog. We looked for weeks for a proper watch dog. We visited shelters in the area and found some that we liked but none of them were known how they reacted to cats. I really didn't want a dog that would eat or attack the cats. We saw the ad for Bella on Craigslist and went to see her that afternoon. I had some reservations as she seemed to be a hyper dog and frankly we already have enough kids that require a lot of attention. We decided to think about it and drove away. We returned hours later after purchasing all the doggy requirements from the local farm implement type store here. The large crate, the 4000 lb bag of food, the chew toys, the tug of war rope and the nasty basted rib bones, the pretty purple collar and leash. So $200 later, we return to her owners and decide to make her part of our crazy family.
Bella is partial to women over men. Her previous owner, Maria, was her main caregiver so she has firmly attached herself to my side. I get an 4 legged escort everywhere. To the laundry room, the restroom, the kitchen, to bed, you get the idea. And heaven forbid I go somewhere and close the door behind me without my shadow.
We figured out very quickly after we brought her home that this dog was not as described. She is not German Shepard at all. She likes to herd the kids. She has to know where everyone is at all times. Upon doing a little online research, I saw the exact picture of our lovely Bella. She happens to be a Borador, which is Border Collie/ Lab. All the stated characteristics are there. The ears, the herding, the need to be busy all the time, etc. Oh well, so she is not as she was claimed to be. She is our crackhead dog now. We discussed briefly trying to find a real farm for her to go to but that subject was quickly dismissed.
Last week, we had all the animals fixed. The three outdoor barn cats and Bella. I am a firm believer in getting animals spayed or neutered as there are too many animals that are homeless or in overcrowded shelters already.
I will come back later and give you all some more boring details but right now I have to take a shower so I can go for my wedding dress fitting. Loooong story..tell ya later!
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