Shelter Story -- Jasper, My Long Distance Adoption

In honor of National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week, we've asked our bloggers to share their stories of adopting shelter dogs and cats.

For several years after moving to New York City I wanted a dog so badly that I would stop strangers on the street to ooh and ahh over their pups like a woman cooing at a baby in a stroller.

"You can't get a dog!" well-meaning friends scolded. "You're never home!" I was single and had a full-time job. As much as I wanted a dog, I had never taken care of one on my own, despite having grown up with dogs as family pets.

Then one day, I was getting a Reiki treatment when the therapist asked if I had a pet. I said no. "That's funny," she said, waving her hands over my body. "I keep seeing a small dog around you."

It was a sign. Encouraged, I came up with a plan. I would walk my dog before work and hire a dog walker to take my dog out during the day. I would get a small dog that I could take with me around the city and on flights to California to visit my family.

I began visiting local animal shelters and contacting rescue groups. Soon, I discovered a distinctly New York City phenomenon: small dogs were scarce and the competition to adopt them fierce. I would submit an application to adopt a small dog, only to have the pooch go to another home. After the third rejection, I decided to open up my search nationwide. Obsessively, I began checking Petfinder.com.

There were so many sweet-looking dogs, but none I felt a special connection with -- until I saw a picture of a tiny black and white dog with a raccoon-like mask. His name was Banjo and he was at a rescue group in Ohio. Something about the stoic expression in the little dog's eyes made me linger. He looked away from the camera, as if tolerating the indignity of being photographed. He was described as a year-old Yorkshire terrier mix who had been found wandering the woods alone. Unneutered and not wearing a collar or tags, he was taken to the local animal shelter where no one came to claim him. The rescue group got him out before he was euthanized and had him neutered.

I was running late for work, but impulsively e-mailed the lady who ran the rescue group. "I don't know if you adopt out of your area," I began writing, earnestly promising to provide a loving, forever home. I included an adoption application with my landlady's phone number and the contact information of a local veterinarian.

I was shocked and delighted when the rescue lady called me the next day. "I never adopt out of my area," she said after speaking with me for a while, "but something tells me he should be with you."

The rescue lady didn't want to ship the dog to New York City, so I booked a flight to Ohio. "You're flying to Ohio to adopt a dog?" my parents asked, surprised. "Don't they have dogs in New York City?" I couldn't explain it, other than to say that there's no telling where you will find the dog that is meant to be with you.

On a Saturday in October two years ago, I boarded a flight to Ohio with a dog carrier and treats in tow, rented a car and drove to meet the lady from the rescue group. She was holding my dog in her arms. As I approached, she thrust the little dog into my arms and he began licking my face like an old friend. The rescue lady, a no-nonsense blond with a weathered face, marveled at the sight. "I have never seen him do that with any of the people around here who wanted to adopt him," she said.

I hugged the little dog as my heart swelled. I named him Jasper, for the gemstone that is believed to bring joy. Together, we flew back to New York City, where he's given me a reason to spend a lot more time at home. People say Jasper was lucky to have been rescued, but I'm the lucky one. He lives up to his name every day.

Tags: animal shelter, AnimalShelter, Dog adoption, DogAdoption