Our "almost" dog - Lola

Over the last week and a half, we have seen this pit bull on our street. Didn't think much of it at first, as our ghetto neighbors down the street have one or two pit bulls. I thought one of theirs just got loose or wandered down the street to pee in uncharted territory.

Then we started seeing her more and more often and she was getting skinnier, and we came to the conclusion that she was a stray. We tried to give her a treat one day and she ran from us. She was just terrified of people, so we assumed she had been abused. We started leaving food and water out on our porch for her (the bowls would be empty in the morning) and slowly gaining her trust. I told Josh that once she warmed up to us we needed to get her in our back yard, pronto. I just can't stand the thought of sad, homeless, abused dogs. I didn't know how incorporating her with Jorge and Julio would work, or if we would need to find her another home, but I knew I couldn't have her spending most of her time hungry, scared to death and cowering under a neighbors tree like she had been.

Two days ago, I got her as far as our porch, luring her with food. I could tell she really wanted to trust me, but just couldn't. When I would go inside she'd come eat the food, and even make eye contact with me through the window. Progress.

Yesterday, Josh (my own personal dog whisperer) got her to come to him while I was at work. She ate three bowls of food and licked his face. He got her in the back yard, played with her, etc. That's when he snapped the picture above. The first thing I noticed was how happy she looked - she almost looked like a completely diffrent dog because before she had looked so sad and forlorn.

I was ready to go buy a dog house, get her her shots, find someone to come feed her while we were on our honeymoon, etc. Josh decided to check with some neighbors and be sure she was really a stray.

Unfortunately, he found her owners. They are up a block or two from us and the wife said she jumps over the fence and escapes a lot, and her husband would come get her from our house when he got home. He also found out her name was Lola.

(We are unsure if she was a showgirl or not - haha)

Sure enough, before I even got home from work, her owner (the husband) came to get her. For various reasons, I don't feel good about her living situation, and I imagine she jumps the fence for a reason.

All I know is if our girl wanders back over this way, she's getting a collar and a tag slapped on her right away and she will never have to run from anyone again.

Hard to believe I miss and love a dog so much that I never even got to touch.

Come back, sweet Lola. We'll give you a better home (and name).