Well, Bailiff has a new home, and while I know it’s for the best, I still miss him, and yes, it was very difficult to say goodbye. After a couple of weeks of various and assorted efforts online, we finally put an ad on Freecycle. I was rather leery about it initially, because some of the people you run across on Freecycle are…well, out there. I had visions of Bailiff being shipped to southeast Asia and being turned into Labradoodle Curry. Thankfully, I’m not going to have to worry about that.
There were some very specific things I was looking for in a new home for Bailiff. One, someone needed to be home all, or at least most, of the day. Bailiff needs a LOT of attention and play time. Two, there needed to be another dog to provide companionship. Three, there needed to be a lot of space. Four, it had to be a family that REALLY wanted Bailiff. Finally, children, while not a requirement, would be a big plus, bceause Bailiff would be in a loving and energetic environment. Part of the reason it took some time to find a new home for him was that I wasn’t willing to compromise. I love Bailiff, and I wasn’t about to dump on the first family to come along.
Funny how things work out sometime, isn’t it? One of the first responses to our Freecycle ad was a young Argentinian couple who live in Clear Lake just a few blocks from my office. The whole family came over to meet Bailiff on Monday night, and they all immediately fell in love with Bailiff. When I took him over to their home Tuesday night, I knew as soon as I walked in the door that I’d found the right place. The family has everything I was looking for in a home, and Bailiff seemed right at home almost immediately.
It was hard to come home without him, but as I left I knew that I was doing the right thing, for him and for us. He’ll be getting a lot more attention, and he’ll be spending a lot less time in a crate. Life around here will be much quieter, and Salem will be happier.
The good thing is that we have a standing invitation to visit Bailiff any time we want. I don’t know that we’ll be taking advantage of that hospitality much, but it’s not something I’ve ruled out. It’s not that Bailiff’s new family aren’t quality people- they certainly seem to be- but sometimes it’s easier to make a clean break.
I sure do miss the boy, though….
