Eve:  Mama!  Mama!  The people with the red shirts are here!  Mama!

Me:  You like those Wells Fargo folks, don't you?  

Eve:  Yep, I do.  They are nice to me.

Me:  Yes, they are.  They help mama too.  They clean and wash dogs and walk dogs and socialize dogs.  They help in any way they can.  Mama sure appreciates them.

Eve:  They bring treats too Mama!

Me:  Yes, they do.  And you never miss the chance to get a treat Evie.

Eve:  Am I a volunteer mama?

Me:  Well, when I think about it....I guess you are.  You help with the shy dogs and you "test" dogs when they first come in.  
Eve:  What are you mama?

Me:  I am a volunteer too.  Everyone at Second Chance is a volunteer.  No one gets paid. 

Eve:  Who works for free?

Me:  People who care....people who have giving hearts...people who want to matter in our world.

Eve:  Mama, you said people every time!  What about dogs like me?

Mama:  You are right!  Dogs like you work for free too!  And Eve, you have a very big heart.

​Eve:  Yep, and I like treats too!

Eve:  Mama, we are going to live together forever, right?  When I grow up to be an adult, I can still live with you, right?

Me:  You can live with me as long as possible Eve.

Eve:  Mama, you would get rid of me?

Me:  NEVER, unless I didn't have a choice.

Eve:  I choose to live with you mama.  Forever.

Me:  Forever is a really long time Baby Girl.  Forever has different time frames for everyone.  If you're 100 years old, your forever is just around the corner.  If you're 2 years old, you got a long time till your forever.  You just never know.  What if I get sick and have to go to a nursing home?  Life changes for dogs and it changes for people too.  People get married and takes vows about forever.  But then they get divorced.

Eve:  Are you going to divorce me mama?

Me:  Divorce is just for married people and we're not married.

Eve: So dogs don't really get forever homes?

Me:  When we adopt out a dog, we absolutely hope and pray that it will be a home that can keep them the rest of their lives and they will never have to be without a home again.  However, the reality is that many times a dog does have to get a new home again.  We wish it wasn't so, but it is.  That is why we always tell people that any dog who has been at Second Chance ALWAYS has a home here if they need us.  Any dog can come back if they need to.

Eve:  Mama, no matter where I am or where I live, I'll always be yours.  You are my forever.

Me:  You are my forever too Eve!  I love you Baby Girl!

Eve:  Mama, I heard you call Rita a breeder released dog?  What's that mama?  And then you called Jasper a owner surrendered dog.  I'm all mxed up!  

Me:  Rita came from a breeder.  Jasper came from an owner.

Eve:  So breeders don't own their dogs Mama?  

Me:  They do own their dogs.  But their dogs are part of a business.  Individual owners did not have their dog as part of a business.

Eve: So is Rita better than Jasper?

Me:  No.  Where they came from doesn't make them better or worse.  It's just where they came from. It's their history.

Eve:  Breeder released.  Owner surrendered.  What am I mama?

Me:  You are mine!  My precious baby girl that I love very much.

Eve:  But what's my history?  Does that make me be who I am?

Me:  Your history does not make you Eve. You are unique Eve.  You were born here at the rescue.  So you aren't an owner surrendered dog and you are not a breeder released dog.  Some dogs come to us as strays too!

Eve:  I won't stray Mama.  I love you.  I will only stray straight to you!

Me:  That makes me very happy Evie!