He fell in love at first sight.
He’s 37 years old and it never happened before. It’s not something he ever thought would happen to him.
His college buddies back in the day called him a bit of a player. He knows that’s not terribly politically correct or really anything to be proud of, but he did go on a lot of dates.
His friends joke that he’s a real life Jerry Seinfeld, always finding something off-putting about the women he dates. Granted, he’s never dumped anyone for eating peas one at a time before, but sometimes when he looks around his empty apartment, he thinks they’re probably not far off.
He’s gone to weddings of his friends and sure, he has a date there, but it’s not usually something that lasts until the next wedding.
He came to the realization a few years ago that he was likely looking at spending a lot of his years alone.
He didn’t really think anything permanent would happen for him.
Then he met her. Brown eyes. Dark hair. Exuberant personality. Fun to be around. Likes to go on hikes.
Perfect in every way.
And when he saw those brown eyes for the first time, he just knew she was the one.
He fell in love at first sight at the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter.
She was a lab mix who was found running around the streets on her own and was brought to the shelter as a stray. She stole his heart the minute he opened the doors to the dog adoption area and she looked up at him from her bed.
He knows it sounds ridiculous, but he got this weird tingle and a warm sensation in his heart and even though he debated with himself, he can admit to himself, in that first split second, he really did know.
She was meant to be his.
So he asked the staff if he could meet her and they brought her in to the bonding room with him. She was a little shy at first, but once she got to know him, she wouldn’t leave his side. She didn’t even want to go back in her kennel without him.
That got to him.
He filled out the adoption paperwork that day and made arrangements to adopt her over the weekend.
He can’t remember ever being as excited as he was those days before he brought her home. He found everything he could find for a dog – bowls, toys, a bed, brushes, the works.
The first night she spent with him, she slept next to him on the bed. He knows he shouldn’t have done it, but this girl is special.
She fits into his life perfectly and they are the best of friends.
He never believed in love at first sight…until that day he stopped by the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter.
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Jennifer Vanderau is the Publications and Promotions Consultant for the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter and can be reached at cvascomm@cvas-pets.org. The shelter accepts both monetary and pet supply donations. For more information, call the shelter at 263-5791 or visit the website www.cvas-pets.org. CVAS also operates a thrift store in Chambersburg. Help support the animals at the shelter by donating to or shopping at the store.
