The Verdict

Well, we are not going to be the proud parents of a Jack Russell puppy named Lola anytime soon. Guy and I were strongly considering taking one of my aunt's puppies -- the one formerly known as Coconut -- but after lots of thought and deliberation, we decided against it. There were many reasons for taking the puppy, like the fact that it would be a good playmate for Lily but not too huge for our lack of backyard, it was very cute, and we know its parents and where it spent the first two months of its life. However, after "renting" Lola/Coconut for a little while last night, Guy and I came to terms with the reality that bringing a dog that is 1/20 of the size of our current, extremely rambunctious, dog into the house could be dangerous for all parties involved. Frankly, Lily has bones bigger than Coconut, and it just made us nervous that she would drop one on her head, trample her, or cause other unpredictable freak accidents. Lily would never hurt a little puppy -- all she did was whine when Coco didn't want to play with her -- but she isn't the most coordinated dog and we didn't feel comfortable that we'd be able to prevent her from maiming the little pup in some permanent way. So, we told Aunt Sandy that Coconut would have to be put back on the market. Our search for a playmate for Lily isn't over, however. If Coconut happens to stay at Aunt Sandy's for a little longer and grow, maybe we could still take her, or maybe we will just find the perfect shelter dog. Only time will tell.