Mr. Darcy

Spontaneity and Whim, Sort of

He is here! We picked up our new puppy on Saturday. I am pleased to introduce, Mr. Darcy.

Last Memorial Day weekend a small Yorkshire Terrier showed up at our house. He looked rough and we thought he had been on the run for a while. He was adorable. I never wanted a small dog, let alone a toy (Mr. Darcy is but 3lbs) but this little stray loved me. He followed me everywhere and sat on my lap and preferred me over Kurt. All of our pets have chosen Kurt over me. Mainly because he does the bulk of the work caring for them but still this was a new experience. I fell hard for this little guy. I allowed my imagination to sweep me away to summer camping trips and even hiking with him in a backpack.

Alas! Being the good people we are, ugh, we found a Facebook page for lost pets in our area. And sure enough, a small Yorkie had gone missing a day before we found him in our yard. Kurt reached out to the owner and after a few questions to ensure he was legit we made plans for their reunion. My heart sank, I knew it was the right thing to do. The owner was excited and mentioned that his three-year old daughter would be so happy to have “Rocky” back. But that little guy left a paw print on my heart in less than two days. He changed something in me, and I knew I needed a Yorkie. It wasn’t that I wanted a Yorkie, I needed one.

This began the online search for Yorkie puppies and to my utter dismay they were so far out of my budget that it started to feel like an impractical pipe dream. I would from time to time check back in with breeders and look at the adorable little puppies and then seeing the price tag, I simply closed my laptop. My practical inner voice being so much louder than my youthful whimsical one, I went on with my life.

After Christmas I told Kurt my sock drawer secret stash of money had grown into a sizable amount. He asked what I was planning to do with the money, and I said, “I don’t know, keeping saving it, I guess.” But that got me thinking and once again I opened my laptop and carefully typed “Yorkshire Terrier puppies near me” into the browser. It was then that I came across a website called Good Dog that listed 10 breeders in Ohio and surrounding states that had been vetted by this group to ensure that the puppies were of the highest quality. I looked at each of the listings noting that most of them were beyond the funds hidden away in my sock drawer. Close to giving up once again, my search this time brought me to Boy One listed on Missy Lu Lap Puppies’ page. He was older than the typical 6-8week puppies I was seeing. He was almost 7 months old at the time. He was also smaller as well. And get this, he was cheaper too. In fact, he fit my sock drawer budget perfectly. I found out from the breeder that because of his size he cannot be registered or used for breeding and therefore, was designated as, “pet only” which accounted for his lower price. I did something I almost never do; without any hesitation I sent a message to Melissa the breeder. It felt so impulsive, a seven-month slow motion “knee jerk,” but still out of character for me. The over thinking kicked in after I sent the message indicating my interest in Boy One. I should have told her about our home, I should have said have sounded more interested and on and on went my mind. Then I forgot about it. I was busy with other things, and I had already counted myself out.

Later that evening I got a message from Melissa, and I asked some questions which she answered and before I realized what was happening, I was putting the down payment on my credit card. This might have been the most spontaneous thing I have ever done. I said to Kurt, “I just bought a dog, sight unseen.” Melissa and I would text back and forth over the next two weeks, both of us asking questions to ensure that Boy One would have all he needed when he joined our family. She sent me pictures of the food he eats, the kinds of car seats she recommends and when I asked for some pictures of him, she sent them right away. We scheduled the transfer and picked him up on 1/11/25.

I had been thinking about my favorite book characters, Anne from Anne of Green Gables, Jane from Jane Eyer, Jo from Little Women, and Elizabeth from Pride and Prejudice. All of them female. Being the reader I am I wanted to name my new little friend for a character in a classic book. Since Pride and Prejudice is a longtime favorite of mine, I named him for Elizabeth’s love interest, Mr. Darcy.

Mr. Darcy and I are settling in. He is adjusting to his new home, and I am adjusting to my new companion. I know we have many wonderful years ahead of us.

As I was going through all the paperwork I got from Melissa, putting it in a folder to keep, I noticed on the vet record he was born 5/28/24, just one day after we reunited the little stray, Rocky with his family. I am not one to read too much into coincidence but, hey maybe Mr. Darcy was born just for me.