On the Road to Our Big Adventure

When we pulled into the home of Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue last Saturday, a big question was hanging in the air.

A key factor to consider when adopting a second dog, especially one being rescued from puppy mill purgatory, is how the first dog is going to feel about this intruder. It is a bit like bringing home a new baby, where the older sibling’s reaction can range from a hug to crying to thoughts that are better left unsaid.

The people with this rescue organization know this. So, they insisted that we bring along our basset hound, Miles, when Clay, my wife and I went to meet the dog they had picked out for us. Miles, who was a rescue himself a year ago, likes his spot on the sofa during the day. He likes his position at Clay’s feet during meals. He likes having first dibs on being scratched under the ears. Hard to know how he would react to a canine buddy. Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve been busy transitioning to a new job, so my wife, Roe DeLuca, has stepped in to write about Clay’s unexpected Christmas gift request. Enjoy.

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It was two weeks before Christmas, and we still had no idea what to get Clay.

Clay has rarely been interested in toys and his visual issues prevent him from playing sports. He does enjoy the rhythm and silliness of Dr. Seuss books and will repeatedly watch his two favorite movies (Toy Story and Shrek), but we always feel guilty that we don’t match the bounty received by his older brother.

Now that Clay communicates through a talking keyboard, I decided to ask him if there was anything special he’d like to see under the tree this year. Read the rest of this entry »