His Name Is Harper

I took a few days to decide on what to name my new rescue dog.  The shelter called him "Todd," but that just didn't feel right to me.  I tried to think of a name that some meaning to it...so I decided to call him Harper.  Little did I realize this was going to cause some confusion to people, especially concerning his gender.  So how did he get his name?

Bob Harper is a personal trainer from the reality show The Biggest Loser.  He has been one of my favorite trainers from the show for quite some time (and don't get me wrong, he's also a gorgeous gay man).  My rescue dog was, in part, supposed to help me during my blue times and get me back on the running trail.  As I continued to learn about Bob Harper, I found out that he's an advocate against puppy mills and has adopted a rescue dog himself.

Ben Harper is a musician that I started listening to years ago.  I was able to see him perform after I participated in the Nike+ Human Race in 2008.  Those were days in which I lost nearly 100 pounds, a place where I want to be again.  Below is the song that I continue to listen to when I feel like I can't fight my weight issues any more.

After naming my dog, a few people kept assuming I named him after Harper Lee, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird.  In the book, even as a child when I first read it, I always had a connection with the character Boo Radley, who was a recluse due to how messy humanity can be.  Being reclusive is safe, and the purpose of having my dog Harper was to "rejoin society" and meet my neighbors.  As a Christian, this is something that I'm called to do.

So Harper is his name.  And I get to continually remember why I chose this very specific deserving name for him.

Introduction to the Blog

I decided to start this blog to bring awareness to what occurs after adopting a rescue animal from a local shelter.  To a certain degree, I was not prepared for the amount of work that was necessary, but I was also not prepared for how rewarding it ended up being.  Not only does the animal you adopt transform, but you, as the adopter, change in the process as well. 

In addition to blogging about the dog that recently adopted (November 7, 2014), I may highlight, on occasion, a few dogs at the shelter where I volunteer and/or dogs that I may end up fostering.  I feel that these dogs deserve to find their forever families, and if this blog helps them find that family, I will silently rejoice for the years of joy that they will experience. 

I will provide tips and tricks that have worked for me in this blog; however, I am not an expert pet behaviorist nor am I veterinarian, veterinarian technician, or dog trainer.  Whenever you are in doubt, please never hesitate in contacting either the shelter that you adopted from or your veterinarian for assistance.