Written by Shanene Meiring
Photography by Nicky's Photography
About three years ago we lost our last of three fur babies due to old age and the pain was indescribable.
We decided as a family that we wouldn’t be getting another doggy again as the heartache was too much after losing three in two years. So, we decided to just visit the animal shelters more regularly and spend some time with those lonely pups.
One Sunday morning we took a trip to our nearest shelter, ODIN (Oudtshoorn Dogs In Need). On arrival there were all these doggies running around and we sat on the grass to play with all of these cute pups, but there was this one cutie that caught my attention. He was all around me, throwing himself on my lap and just wanting all the attention for himself. I immediately fell in love with him, but I remembered the choice we’d made and didn’t say anything.
Later we got up and drove off slowly, and all of a sudden my husband saw in the rear-view mirror this dog running after the car (we had no idea how he’d got out of the shelter!). We immediately pulled over, opened the door, and in jumped this handsome boy that I’d fallen in love with earlier.
With all our resolve instantly diminished, my daughter and I begged my husband for us to adopt him, but he said no because the plan was NOT to bring a dog home!
We all started crying while taking the pup safely back in, and it was even worse when he didn’t want to get out of the car at the shelter! We drove home crying the whole way and didn’t speak a word at home the rest of the day.
Hubby drove off to the shops and came back a while later asking us if we still wanted this dog. He had in the meantime made contact with Colleen at ODIN to ask about this particular pup. She gave him a bit of background... Wouter had been adopted three times before but people kept bringing him back because he was too busy for them and they couldn’t handle him. We made some phone calls again and the next day Marlene from ODIN came to visit us for a house check-up with little Wouter. She was very impressed with us and left him there. Oh, what a joy!
From that day on Wouter just made our empty, sad life whole again. He gives us so much joy and love, and he even entertains us as he’s at times so funny. We could never imagine life without him.
I’m so glad that Wouter somehow got out that day and ran after us... he’d picked us! He knew we were the perfect family for him!
