Meeting Earl

Earl! My new soulmate’s name is Earl! Hold on buddy, here I come! No more loneliness for Homer and Earl!

Yesterday I went with amazing, smart, beautiful, creative, vibrant Heather to meet some of the dogs she’s been featuring on her Shelter Shots series about the Orange County Animal Shelter, where she is a volunteer. I also met Max and Cookie who had me laughing so hard with their cute antics, but Earl freakin’ stole my heart.

In the last year I’ve been admitting my affection for the Hound Dog with their mournful eyes, droopy ears, and elegant, lanky carriage. Seeing Earl in person was really amazing, though. I just wanted to see him run, full-tilt, and track me something.

Earl is quiet and calm and let me give him a big hug and hold his adorable face in my hands. His big ol’ ears feel like silk, and he has the build of an athlete.

I think he would do great with scent puzzles and games because this dood took his sniffing SERIOUSLY. And although I’m sure he’d need to be run around as part of his weekly exercise (dog park?), my instinct is that he could learn in a flash to be great on a leash for your everyday strolls.

I could see you and Earl wandering on down to the cafe in the morning. You’d get a cup of coffee and read The Independent, and he would lounge under your feet on the sidewalk. In the afternoon, you’d meet up with another dog owner and go for a hike in the woods. Then it’s back home for an evening of reading Be the Dog as Earl curls up on his doggie bed, lifting his sleepy eyes to you only to make sure that his amazing turn of luck wasn’t a dream. His ID at the shelter is A127737.

more pictures of Earl here. All photos by Heather of Wander and Scrawl (and she’s available to hire for your photography needs!)