Reunited...and it feels so good...

The last week was full of more dog-drama, but also some good news.

After working on the yurt situation, my mom and stepdad talked to some friends who they work with about the property across the street from them that they are buying (see pic). These people are 'hazelnut" (to Starbucks types, known as filberts to Oregonians) farmers and employ my sister at their packaging facility. The property across the street which is a 100 acre filbert orchard went up for sale and these people bought it. It just so happens that there are 2 houses on this property. My stepdad brought up with them that we are looking to move and they got really excited...they don't care about making money off these houses, they just want people there that they can trust keeping their eye on the orchard...so possibly we can live there for free or REALLY cheap!! this is the best thing that has happened to us since Jay lost his job. the house is huge, 1700 sq feet, which is kind of crazy (considering the fact that we were contemplating moving into a 500 sq foot yurt) but this situation is just too good for us...we're hoping we can move down there in june. we are excited to get back to rural living. We don't want to jinx it, but i SO hope this works out. We will be living directly across the street from my mom. I can keep subbing. Jay can keep working part time. We get to see our kids. It could just be great for us. We could pay off some debt, maybe even save some money! Crazy idea.

So the animal shelter called and said that they can't put barry up for adoption because he is actually designated as a dangerous dog in our county. Um, yeah? but you already knew that. they are claiming they didn't know that. WTH? that is the WHOLE reason he is in vancouver and not at Oregon humane! whatever. I guess the county animal control called them and told them all of this...this was never hidden from them and should have been fully known. I think the shelter worker who agreed to this is trying to cover herself saying that she didn't know he was actually designated. They said it is a liability. I asked them if it was a liability even if he wasn't designated, if he had just bitten someone, and they said yes! But they DEFINITELY knew he bit the mailman! I'm so confused. Plus, he was looked at TWICE by their behaviorist and deemed completely safe and was really sweet and loving there, even in those stressful conditions.

But we figured, whatever. We are moving to a 100 acre farm out of this county. We are just going to take him back. I went and got him. I feel really bad that he was in dog jail for a month. I guess that's what he gets for biting the mailman. But he is back with us now, and i'm glad. If they want to slap us with fines and stuff, whatever. Go ahead. I'm so done with this issue, I don't even care. I know he's not dangerous. The mailman is totally overreacting to a pair of ripped pants. If i thought that barry was a truly aggressive dog, i would just have him euthanized myself. But he's not. He just hates the mailman.

i'm relieved, honestly. I mean, if he would have found a good home, I guess we would have been Ok with it, but seeing him in the shelter, and then bringing him home...his relief was palpable. Poor sophie was beside herself with joy at seeing him. i can't imagine how sad and confused he must have been during this whole time. So we're all back together again. I can't help but feel it was meant to be this way. We may even have to get sneaky and fake his death or something. But probably not. We'll just have to live with a dog who is basically like a sex offender..."hi, my name is barry and i'm moving in next door. I'm classified as a level 4 dangerous dog. The county requires me to report this..."