A few days ago we were contacted by someone asking about Magdalena. They were looking to adopt her for their granddaughter. We discussed things and arranged to meet this afternoon.
I took Magdalena out for her final walk this morning and gave her as much time as she wanted. She spent a chunk of it trying to catch a mole. She’d stare at the ground, tilt her head back and forth, then plunge her nose into the ground, grab a mouthful of grass and dirt, then spit it out. Then she’d start digging at the spot. Apparently the mole made it safely away as she didn’t have it in her mouth as we continued to walk.
The rest of the morning and early afternoon she laid around, alternately protecting her food from the other dogs and eating it.
Finally, it came time to gather her things and put her in the car. I got her food bowl, leash, harness, medical records and her stuffed Gizmo security toy. I’m sure Sirocco will be sad to see Gizmo go. Whenever Magdalena would go outside, he’d run to the living room, play with Gizmo for thirty seconds or so, then run away as Magdalena came back inside.
We met at a local dog park. I arrived and was greeted by her new prospective owners. We took Magdalena to the dog park and let her wander around, as well as meet the new folks. It turns out that the granddaughter lost her dog a few weeks ago. It got out of the fenced yard, ran into the road and got hit by a car. She came across the post online about Magdalena and said “That’s my dog!” She’ll be turning sixteen this weekend so it’s also a bit of a birthday present for her.
The girl took Magdalena for a walk around the park while the grandmother and I spoke. It sounds like Magdalena will have a good home with them. They have a ranch so there is acreage for her to run around in. They have three other dogs, all large, so Magdalena will have dogs she can play with. They also have chickens, turkeys and ducks. I’m not sure how Magdalena will react to them, but I told her not to eat them, as it would make a bad impression.
The girl returned and we chatted a bit. She will keep Magdalena with her most of the time, and will even let the dog sleep in her bedroom with her. (I’m sure Magdalena will think she’s died and gone to Heaven). Magdalena will be separated from the other dogs when it comes to feeding time so her food aggression should be kept in check. The girl is also going to be taking Magdalena for more walks around the ranch, helping get some of the weight off her. I could only walk her so much and it wasn’t enough for her to get proper exercise.
On the whole I’m sorry to see Magdalena go, but I think she’ll have a better life in her new home. I’ve grown accustomed to her presence, as Prof. Henry Higgins might put it. She’s a good dog and I’ll miss her. We have an open invitation to visit her anytime we want, so we might arrange some play dates down the road. I think we’d both enjoy that.
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