Yesterday was Bruce Wayne’s “Gotcha Day”! We brought him home from the shelter on July 20, 2022. Although I applied to adopt him at the end of June, we had to wait three weeks because he had a bad case of kennel cough and required multiple courses of antibiotics for it to clear his system.
There are multiple reasons why I chose to adopt another dog, but I primarily chose Bruce to be a companion to Gidget McFidget. She has been my stalwart companion since she came from the same shelter eleven years ago this summer. Originally, she was supposed to be my foster dog, but she had other ideas. Sometimes, the dog chooses you, and she definitely had a plan in her diabolical little brain when she got here.
Thus, Bruce came into our family to be a companion dog for the dog we already had. Ever since she arrived at our house, Gidget was devoted to our Beagle girl, Annabelle Lee. They were clearly the best of friends. After Annabelle passed away in March of 2022, Gidget became depressed, barely eating and refusing to play with her toys. She would lie on the couch in Annabelle’s spot and sigh, her little eyes turned toward the door.
Things changed when Bruce arrived. Instead of a best friend, Gidget had a nemesis. She ate all her food so he couldn’t have any. She played with her toys so he couldn’t have them. It was obvious that spite was keeping her alive. Bruce didn’t care. He had plenty of his own food, and the toybox was overflowing with more toys than he could play with at once. Over time, they became fond of each other, bonding over their mutual desire to chase squirrels and bark at delivery drivers.
Bruce started out as a dog’s dog, but he quickly turned into our funny little man. Watching him run around on his stubby little legs makes us laugh, and the enthusiasm he brings to every waking moment would lift anyone’s spirits.
Happy Gotcha Day, Doc McStubbins, Mr. Stubby Nubbins, Bruce Wayne.
Dawn Levitt, Author 