A Very Happy Tail
Monday, May 18, 2015
By: Lauren Van Sant

Luna has brought so much joy in our lives

I have always grown up around dogs and knew that as soon as I was living on my own and able to afford it, I would want to own my own dog. When I got engaged to a wonderful man, I talked to him a lot about how I wanted a dog to be a part of our lives. He was skeptical at first (and also allergic!). His family had owned dogs before but they were always willful and destructive and he had never formed a bond with them. When we moved in together, I finally persuaded him to at least come to a local shelter and look at some dogs. At the shelter, we took out this sweet Pit Bull mix and I watched my fiance fall in love with the dog. We placed the dog on hold and then returned to our apartment complex to inform our landlord that we were planning to bring a pet into our home. Unfortunately, the minute the landlord heard that the dog was a Pit Bull, he rejected our request and said there was no way he would ever consider letting us have her in our place. Stunned and heartbroken, we felt defeated. My fiance especially was hurt, as he had never before had a bond with an animal like that in such a short amount of time.
Then, on Labor Day weekend, we went to Omaha to visit my parents and I once again asked my fiance if we could visit the local humane society. He was gun-shy after our first adoption had fallen through, but still I was able to persuade him to give it one more try. On the second visit to the shelter, we were in the visiting room playing with one dog when we happened to look over and saw this sweet black Lab mix in the room next door. Our volunteer told us that the family next door was trying to see if the dog would get along with their family dog before they decided whether or not to take her home. Fortunately for us, the two dogs did not get along and so we were able to take a look at her. From the moment Luna entered the play room, I could see that my fiance was hooked. She went to him immediately and was very affectionate and sweet. Her former family was forced to abandon her because they could no longer afford to keep her. We decided that day that we had to adopt her.
Although the first few months were a bit rough (Luna has a sensitive stomach and had to have a partial tail amputation due to happy tail syndrome), we have not looked back on our decision to adopt our dog. She has brought so much joy in our lives. She goes on regular walks and doesn't go anywhere without at least one ball in her mouth. She loves to lay on the couch next to us while we are working. I love her and my fiance jokingly laments that Luna and I have turned him into a dog lover, now and forever.
Thank you Nebraska Humane Society!