Emmy Lou and the Bandit

Taking care of business

My nephew, Eric, and I drove to Center Valley yesterday, to meet two dogs, Bandit and Emmy Lou.  We transported Bandit (who stole my heart) to his foster mother, while Emmy Lou had the pleasure of meeting her forever parents, who picked her up there.

We first made the transfer of Emmy Lou from her transport driver to her new forever folks.  I had to be sure her paperwork was received properly, and that she was safe on leash until inside her new family's car.

Emmy Lou was an adorable, well-behaved sweetheart, with a serene-looking face and expressive brown eyes.  Her new mother was thrilled to finally have her in her arms. 

After discussion about how well Emmy Lou rode with her transport driver, and whether she needed to perform her doggy business, Emmy Lou made it clear that she wasn't about to ride in the back of the van.  After all, she's people too!  So her new Mom decided they could both ride shotgun, and moved her to the front seat and closed the door while we tied up loose ends.  Emmy Lou didn't want to miss a thing, though, as you can see.

Emmy Lou knows her basic commands, walks great on her leash, and has a carefree nature.  She's gentle, calm and quiet, and I'd say her new family is very lucky to have her!

In the meantime, Eric took the reins of Bandit, our transport charge.  Bandit was a strong boy, and I was glad I had my sturdy nephew with me (no offense, Carol!).  Bandit, a hound mix, weighed in at about 50 pounds of muscle.  Thankfully Eric too had plenty of brawn and muscle himself!

I did have to chuckle, though, because Bandit was peppy in his walking, and while Eric is an energetic young man, from my vantage point, it looked like Bandit was taking Eric for a trot.  But Eric enjoyed their little cardio workout.  At least that's what he told me.

Bandit seemed to like me a lot, and we bonded within a few moments as he enjoyed my head scratches and ear tugs.  I loved the markings on his face with the patches around his eyes, and he soaked up the attention.  I'm told Bandit was quite the ham when they took his picture so we could ID him throughout his transport.  And after his photo session, with some coaxing baby talk, he flipped over on his back and begged for belly rubs.

Once we got on our way, Bandit settled in on the backseat, and we just couldn't resist taking another picture.  Look at him -- looking so adorable and smiling for the camera!

When we arrived at our destination, Bandit met Liz, his new foster mother.  He took to her right away, and it seems to me they were both very happy to make each other's acquaintance, don't you agree?

Bandit is a thief -- a heart-stealing thief!  He was in a shelter in the south for over two months, and the staff named him their favorite.  That tells you a lot about Bandit, and I'm sure once his new family finds him, he'll make a great addition to their household.  Not only will the ham within him shine brightly, he'll steal their hearts too!