Chapter 2
"We're happy to let you adopt a dog," Susan Hathaway that had started the pet rescue said. "Your generous donation a few days ago sure has helped a lot of animals and we appreciate it."
"We were actually thinking of adopting two," Dulci said.
"Yes, we were, as I have the space and the money to take care of them," Dave said. "It's why I donated my winnings from the bake sale here, as I didn't need it in my bank account."
"And also, why he wrote you a large check," Dulci added.
"And we appreciate your generosity," Susan told the pair. "I wish more people were so generous with their money. We operate on donations and we are on a shoestring budget. Everything an animal needs adds up, their shots, their food, a few cheap toys that kind of thing."
"Living in general is expensive anyway," Dave said and the lady nodded.
"It is," Susan agreed. "We only charge for the shots and the starter kit we provide so as you can imagine we always need money. The starter kit comes with a small bag of food, two cheap plastic bowls for food and water, a pamphlet on how to take care of your new pet and a few inexpensive toys."
"You can keep the starter kit as Dulci and I are going shopping as soon as we pick out a couple of dogs," Dave said. "I have plenty of money to buy them everything they need, so let's save those kits for people who need them."
"We foster the dogs with people who sign up for pet fostering so let me make some calls," Susan said please. "Do you have any kind of specific dog in mind, large, small, medium? We have all sizes and quite a few fostered out right now."
"I was thinking small," Dulci said. "What do you think Dave?"
"Small is good, though I've only had large dogs in the past," Dave said.
"You've had dogs before," Susan asked him not seeming surprised, though Dulci was and he nodded in confirmation.
"It was years ago and it's way past time I got another. He had to be put down, because he had gone blind and deaf. He was just an old dog that wouldn't eat his food. It was a kindness to put him to sleep then watching him waste away."
"That is so sad," Dulci said and Susan nodded, because yes, she agreed, it was very sad.
Dave didn't bother to tell the two women that it had been over 100 years ago when his old dog had died so it was way past time he got another. There had been nothing that the vet at the time could do, though veterinary medicine just like human medicine had made leaps and bounds in the last hundred years.
"Dulci only encouraged me to do what I wanted to do anyway when I told her I was thinking about getting another dog," Dave said. "It's fortunate she likes dogs just as much as I do since, we are dating."
"I love dogs, even if I never had any growing up," Dulci said.
"You never had a dog?" Susan surprised, since it was apparent Dulci loved animals.
"Nope, I'm afraid not, my dad's very allergic. My friend did though and I was over often at her house, as a kid," Dulci explained.
"Well, at least you didn't inherit your father's allergies," Susan said.
"No, I didn't and yes, I was very lucky, I take after my mother at least in that way," Dulci agreed.
Dave and Dulcinea made an appointment for tomorrow where several small dogs would be brought in by those fostering them for Dave and Dulci to see and play with them.
"I had no idea adopting a dog was so complicated," Dulci said as soon as they had left the office of the rescue.
"Susan has to make sure that the dogs are going to a good home," Dave said. "Any responsible place would do the same thing, but since that's where my money went from the bake sale as well as that check I gave them it'll probably be easier than usual."
"They know you have money because you donated the money from the bake sale and also another 50,000, which is a lot of money, especially today," Dulci said.
"We could go to the pound. I know they have some dogs, but we'd still have to fill out some paperwork," Dave suggested.
"There's paperwork no matter where you go," Dulci said.
"That is so true," Dave snorted in amusement.
The two walked to Dave's car in companionable silence and Dave got into the driver seat.
"Thanks for bringing me along Dave, I really appreciate your thoughtfulness," Dulci told her boyfriend.
"It was my pleasure," Dave told Dulci, even as he drove out onto the street. "As I have already told you I would like our relationship to continue, so that means I include you in as much as I can. I know I know of no female that likes to be excluded from things unless it's absolutely necessary for whatever the reason that is. What's the point of being in a relationship if you go behind eac's back instead of being honest with what you're doing?"
"Well, you're certainly more enlightened than a lot of men who wouldn't even have thought about inviting me if they were going somewhere beyond the norm," Dulci agreed smiling.
"I like you too much to risk you breaking up with me just because I'm thoughtless," Dave said, smiling even as he drove.
"You're certainly very different from most men," Dulci told him with a small smile.
Dave didn't tell Dulci exactly why he was so different from other men she had dated, as that could come later.
~~~Dave and Dulci~~~
"Oh, they're adorable," Dulci immediately said, as she and Dave returned to the pet rescue the next day to see the dogs that Susan had found for them.
Dulci leaned down extending her hand, so the dogs could sniff it and when they licked her fingers, she sat on the floor and play with them.
"They are so sweet," Dulci said, as one of them climbed onto her lap and licked her chin causing her to giggle.
Dave after a few minutes of observing his girlfriend play with the dogs also allowed them to sniff his hand before he sat down beside Dulci and played with them as well.
"Well, they seem to get along great with you," Susan who had been observing them said smiling. "It's obvious that you love dogs."
"Yeah, we do," Dave said, as he stood up. "I don't know how such cute, sweet animals end up on the street. I know people abandon pets all the time, but the least they could do is take them somewhere like here where they will be cared for."
"Many dogs end up in the pound and they end up being put to sleep if they're not adopted," Dulci added, even as she held one of the small dogs in her arms and came to stand beside Dave. "I know the pound only has so much room, so putting a dog to sleep if they're not adopted is the only answer, as why bother to take them off the street if they were just going to release them back out into the same environment at some point? However, that doesn't mean it isn't a tragedy when it happens."
"It definitely is," Susan agreed. "If you want to adopt them then that's fine with me. It's clear you'll give them a good home."
"So, what are their names?" Dave asked, even as he picked up the dog that Dulci wasn't still cuddling and got his face licked for his trouble.
"That one you're holding Dave is Denali. Named after the highest mountain in Alaska and it's also an old Indian name. The other is Nova.
"Those names are cute, but I can't tell if they are girl or boy," Dulci who had been listening said.
"That's understandable, because the names can be either one," Susan smiled. "Nova is a girl and Denali is a boy."
The dogs looked different enough that neither Dave nor Dulci would have trouble telling them apart. One was mostly white with just some black on the chest and one black paw. The black patch on her chest almost looked like a starburst which is probably how she had gotten the name Nova. The other was black with no distinguishing marks.
"Well, at least we won't have any trouble telling them apart considering how different they look from each other. They are two totally different breeds," Dave said smiling. "I believe we'll take them so long as Dulci agrees since we're dating."
"Oh, I definitely agree, as Nova is a sweetheart," Dulci said, as she kissed the tip of the dog's nose. "You're just as cute as can be aren't you Nova?"
"Very well then, thanks for your donation you don't have to pay us anymore," Susan said. "I'm happy to know that they're going to a good home. You'll probably want to have them fixed as soon as possible so that they don't create any babies as there are enough stray dogs in the world as it is. They've had their shots but your donations covers the price of them."
"We'll take care of that as soon as possible," Dave said. "It's the responsible thing to do, so they don't create anymore strays. You're right, there are enough abandoned dogs in the world let's not create anymore."
"Oh, but they are so adorable and they'd probably have adorable puppies to," Dulci said, even though she really agreed with Dave and Susan. "I just love puppies as they're so cute, innocent and sweet.
"Yes, they are adorable, but there's also plenty of adorable dogs in the world as well as cats," Dave said.
By the time, Dave and Dulci left the pet rescue they had two cages with the dogs they had been playing with. Before they left, Dave had donated another 5,000 and Susan had been very grateful for the influx of cash. While 50,000 plus the 500 from the bake sale was nothing to sneeze at that would be used up in no time as things were so expensive, especially for things like vet bills.
"That was really nice of you to give Susan so much money," Dulci said, as they placed the dogs in the backseat of Dave's car still in their cages
"You're wondering if I can afford to give the pet rescue so much," Dave said guessing what Dulci was thinking quite easily.
"It's not really any of my business," Dulci said, "but 55,500 is a lot of money if you count the donation you gave Susan today."
"Yes, it is," Dave acknowledged calmly. "I would never have done it if I couldn't well afford it though, I promise you, no matter how sorry I felt for those poor dogs. I have plenty of money, as I've made some really good investments over the years. I didn't need all that money in my bank account in order to live quite comfortably, so I thought I should spread my wealth around."
Dulci felt rather relieved that Dave wasn't going to go broke just because he was such a generous soul.
"You were actually worried that I was foolish enough to give money away that I needed to live," Dave said and the amusement in his tone was crystal clear.
Dulci flushed in embarrassment. "It's just that I've never encountered anyone that could give so generously to his pet charity so I was worried that you were going to go broke. People in general can be foolish and give you the clothes off their backs, even if they can ill afford to lose them."
"True," Dave acknowledged rather touched at Dulci's genuine concern. "I promise you that's not true in my case."
"I don't usually ask about a person's finances, as that's rude and most people would be offended if you did," Dulci said. "On the other hand, I really like you, Dave and I would hate to break up with you just because you've proved beyond foolish with your money."
"You would break up with me, just because I spend money I needed to live on?" Dave asked with a raised eyebrow amusement in his tone.
"I would never get involved with anybody that was always broke as that would mean we would be struggling as living is expensive," Dulci tried to explain her thoughts. "I mean we would have children at some point and I don't want to bring a child into this world when there's no money to take care of them. I have a job that's true, but I should not be the only one that contributes to finances."
"I understand," Dave said. "However, I've made quite a fortune over the last few decades and I'm not going to go broke anytime soon. I would well afford to part with the money I gave to the pet rescue I swear it. My standard of living isn't going to change in the slightest. There's no need to be concerned about me not having money to live as that's not going to happen."
"Well good," Dulci said relieved, as she believed Dave when he said he made a fortune over the last few decades. Dave was very honest and had been completely forthright with her at least so far. She suspected that to continue.
"I'm glad you care about me Dulci, because I care about you too, a lot," Dave said. "It was a very fortunate coincidence when we ran into each other at that bake sale."
When Dave told Dulci that he cared about her he was understating the situation, but he didn't want to scare her off. He actually loved her and deeply, but that's the way it was with the mates of immortals. At the moment Dulci wasn't aware he was anything but a normal man however, which is why he only said he cared about her, as it was much too soon to tell her he was in love with her and definitely about immortality.
~~~Dave and Dulci~~~
Dave finally arrived back at his house and parked in the garage that was attached to the home.
"Let's get these two out so they can explore," Dave said. "Tomorrow we'll have to go shopping for pet supplies."
"What about food for tonight, as you told Susan to keep the starter kit," Dulci asked.
"I picked up a small bag of food from the local grocery store while I was grocery shopping the day before since I knew I was going to adopt. If they like it we can pick up a larger bag at the pet store," Dave said. "It's certified healthy for the dogs by doctors, but I know dogs have different tastes just like humans do, so we'll try this food and if they don't like it, we'll try something else."
"Well, you just think of everything don't you," Dulci said smiling, as she kissed Dave's bearded cheek for being so thoughtful.
"I tried to," Dave said, as he filled to bowls from the cabinet with dog food and another with water before releasing the dogs from their cages. "We'll have to buy them some more permanent bowls tomorrow, perhaps have their names inscribed on them."
"Get an appointment at the vet so they can be neutered," Dulci mentioned and Dave nodded.
"True we do need to do that," Dave agreed.
"I hate to have them neutered as they're so adorable, but Susan was right, we don't need them creating babies who we would have to find homes for," Dulci said.
"That's only if they didn't mate with a stray dog, because they got lost. Nova at least might come back pregnant since she's female so it's just better to do the responsible thing, so that doesn't happen," Dave said. "I'll find out where the closest vet is and make an appointment. We also need the vet to add chips so they can be returned home if they lose their collars."
"That's definitely a good idea, as you never know if they'll get lost," Dulci agreed. "They could get frightened by something and jerk the leash out of one of our hands for example."
"Once they see the vet we could take them to the dog park that's not far from here and then let them sniff around," Dave said. "They won't even have to be leashed, as those places are fenced in and lets the dogs roam around freely and socialize with other dogs. It is considered beneficial for the dogs who can become territorial if they are constantly on their leashes."
"You sure do know a lot about it," Dulci said with a twitch of her lips to show she was amused.
"I've had dogs before," Dave shrugged nonchalantly.
What Dave didn't say was dog parks hadn't existed last time he'd had a dog, as they were a relatively recent thing but that didn't mean he hadn't looked up the information just because he'd been thinking for a while about getting another pet. Also, he had happened to notice the dog park that was several blocks from here and had sat on one of the benches watching the dogs interact with each other in a safe environment. Dogs had sniffed at the grass and also each other, having a fine time just scenting things and able to run around with much more freedom then was usually allowed. It was a way for the dogs to runoff some of their energy so they wouldn't misbehave at home.
"I was taking a walk awhile back and came across the dog park and just sat on one of the benches observing the dogs interacting with each other and running around just enjoying themselves with no leashes in sight. It's a leash free area unlike anywhere else, except your own backyard. It's one of the things that made me decide that I really wanted another dog, since my other one had died some time ago. Made me realize that I've missed having a companion."
"You were lonely," Dulci guessed.
"I was and I just didn't realize it until then," Dave said.
"What no girlfriend to spend time with?" Dulci asked.
"Not back then no," Dave said. "That's not to say, I didn't date some until we met just that nothing ever worked out that's all."
Dave didn't bother to tell Dulci why things with those women had never worked out. They hadn't been his mate, but Dulci was something she wasn't aware of, as yet.
"Yeah, I know what you mean as I've dated some in the past to and nothing ever worked out for one reason or another," Dulci agreed. "You're the first steady guy I've had in a long time."
"So, no long-term ex-boyfriends," Dave said.
"Nobody I've dated more than a few months and the ones I have dated I didn't like half as much as I like you. I know we've only been dating a few weeks but I am really hoping our relationship continues for a long time. For one thing, some of the guys I dated didn't even like animals. They just didn't want to clean up after them. They didn't even own a goldfish much less anything with fur. They weren't willing to put in the effort to take them to obedience classes or take them outside when they needed to go to the bathroom. Basically, they were lazy. While that's not necessarily what made me break up with them they also had other faults I discovered in the weeks in months we dated," Dulci explained shaking her head.
"Well, I guess that makes this my lucky day," Dave said smiling.
"I guess it does," Dulci agreed with a smile. "That's one fault you don't suffer from and that's laziness. So many people suffer from that particular fault."
"True, they do," Dave agreed.
The two talked for some time, as they watched the dogs gobble down their dinner at a rapid rate of speed.
Tomorrow they were headed for the pet store first thing to buy everything necessary for the dogs comfort.
~~~Dave and Dulci~~~