Meet Harry, the Newest Addition to the O’Malley Home

Sometimes things happen in a crazy, serendipitous kind of way.

When you least expect it.

And not how you planned it at all.

We had decided we wanted to get a second dog, but weren’t looking with any sense of urgency. When it happens, it happens, and if it doesn’t, well, that’s ok too. And with being so involved with the rescue group, I knew the right one would probably find us eventually.

And so is the story behind Harry joining our family.

Rewinding to January when it all started…

There is a long back story to how I originally came to hear about Harry. I’ll spare you the tiny details, but suffice it to say that I was in the right place at the right time as his owner was surrendering him.

As soon as I saw his picture, I was done. Because he looks so much like our beloved Rosie who died in August.

The family had two days to find him a home and since he is a senior, my heart was breaking at the thought of him being passed around.

Again.

And there was a brief moment when it looked like the family was just going to leave him.

In their apartment. By himself. As they moved out.

And, well, you know I couldn’t let that happen either.

So of course we will pick him up.

And love him forever.

Because the night when all the back-and-forthing with the family and our rescue group was happening, I was falling more and more in love with a dog I hadn’t even met yet.

Because I looked at him and just saw Rosie.

And I looked at him and just saw a dog that needed a family.

And so it was.

And, of course, this was all happening on the weekend that Madeline’s hamster, Charlotte, started to go rapidly downhill.

And when I got the death flu.

But we picked Harry up. And it was love. And happiness. And we were pretty much done.

We knew he was good with kids and other dogs, but he hadn’t been tested with cats yet (we have two).

Our cats are very low-maintenance to begin with, so I wasn’t overly worried, but his first night in our home, the below picture happened, and I texted it to everyone involved in his rescue with a simple message.

“Gosh, I really wish he loved cats.”

And so Harry has quickly wriggled his way into our home and hearts.

He is so much like Rosie, it’s uncanny (in the photo below, she is on the left, Harry is on the right). Beyond just their appearance, their personalities are identical, as well their back stories and how they intertwine with ours.

Harry is happy with everything and nothing. Pet him all day long. Or just a few minutes here and there as you’re passing through. And he is happy. Happy with whatever you do, or don’t do. Just happy. You just can’t help but love him, and the more we got to know him, the more we knew that this is exactly where he is meant to be. I knew it even before our first meeting.

Home.

Tomorrow? A new recipe.