I've always grown up with dogs. So it was really no surprise when I started feeling like there was something missing whenever I left home and got my own apartment. Growing up in the country and being surrounded by all kinds of critters kind of makes you feel that way.

My fiance Mark never grew up with any dogs. I suppose when you're moving around all over the place, having a furry friend that may not be welcome in a new country isn't exactly sensible. So when he was attending his brother's bachelor party in Austin one weekend, I texted him and said, "I'm going to see about this dog at the shelter tomorrow. Here's a pic." He probably knew his dog-free days were over right then and there.

We had always made excuses before biting the adoption bullet. Our previous place was shared between four other people, our place after that had some pretty loud neighbors, etc. There was always a good reason not to rescue a dog at the moment. But once we did, we wondered why we didn't sooner. And then we adopted Rosie two days ago.

And as soon as we took Birdie home, I was already glued to my laptop, looking for cute harnesses, funny toys and soft beds. That's kind of where the idea for this blog came from. And if you're new to the world of dog-rescuing, there will be some helpful tips and tricks that we've learned along the way.