Hooligan (now Charlie)

I thought we’d rescued a 100-lb horse on that exceptionally hot day last July, when the Brookline volunteers delivered Charlie to our home. He was full of anxious energy as he galloped around our backyard with his long legs. It was a relief to see him getting along well with our senior pup we’ve had for the past decade. One can never really fill the hole left in your heart by the loss of a pet, but we were eager to welcome a new dog into our home to honor the memory of the pup we lost to a heart condition about nine months prior to welcoming Charlie.

Admittedly, the first few days, weeks, and months with Charlie were challenging. He was adjusting. We were adjusting. It was like he was a bucking bronco and we were just hanging on for dear life. We began to second-guess ourselves. Were we the right fit for this pup? Through the patient help of the Brookline volunteers and expert trainer Eileen Conroy, we were able to better understand him and knew what we needed to do to keep him safe and happy. I feel that it’s important to mention this because too many folks think that welcoming a new pet into your home is easy. Sometimes it’s not, and that’s ok. But, if you’re willing to put in the work, like we did, things can turn for the better quickly and you forget about all the doubts you once had.

So, just like that, after a few months the four of us became cohesive as a family unit. Our resident senior pup and Charlie were getting along better. Being ten years his senior, our girl pup spoke up when this nuisance of a little brother was bothering her – and Charlie respected that boundary.

We are happy to say that now as we close in on the one year anniversary of welcoming Charlie into our home and family, that he lives like a king. A spoiled, pampered king. My husband and I work from home, so both dogs have run of the house during the day. The backyard has a fence, room to run around, and an in-ground pool. Charlie is quite the proficient swimmer! He will easily swim laps or go fetch toys from the pool. He likes to just sit on a bench we have inside the pool and will just look around with a silly look on his face that we believe is him feeling content.

Despite his large size, he is very cuddly and we love that about him. The longer he’s been here with us, the more vocal he gets. He will make some groans to seemingly express his enjoyment or displeasure in something going on around him. Charlie makes us laugh every day. He is smart. He is protective. He’s our baby boy. We are grateful that we can provide a good life for both of our dogs. Thank you to Brookline for connecting us with Charlie!