Oklahoma 1,008,570 : Texas 1

Everyone that knows me knows that I think Oklahoma is pretty much the most awesome state to be from. Well it's only because it is true. I know, I know...you Texans just can't possibly imagine a better state than Texas, but I'm here to inform you otherwise. Oklahoma Rocks the Casbah. Totally. How you might ask?!? Well I have a million reasons, but one BIG one just whopped me right in the face today.

First I must bring you up to speed. On Saturday morning my precious little Ruby woke me up and I took her outside to take care of her lady business. While we were out we saw the sweetest little stray dog running loose around the apartment complex. No collar....no leash...no chip....no love...no nothin. Just out in the mean, cruel world fending for himself. Am I tugging at your heart strings yet?!? If not, I'll continue...

I persuaded the pup to come up to my apartment. I tried to feed him and give him water, but he didn't want any. Clearly he was a well taken care of dog at one point. So I put him in the car and we drove all over the place. I thought "Hey, someone probably misses their pup!" I couldn't find anyone searching for him. I then tried the Humane Society. Turns out they're closed. Who closes on the weekend?!? That is primo puppy adopting time! I drove by a vet...nothin (except rudeness, pure rudeness). I went by Pets Mart....nothin. I went to another vet...nothin. I went to the SPCA and they wouldn't take him because their dogs had kennel cough, but (and here is the kicker) a guy had brought this little pup in the day before. That means the guy must have dumped him again! Geez dumped not once, but twice?!? Such a travesty. The SPCA person told me just to take him to the pound. The POUND?!? What kind of person do you think I am? I immediately burst into tears. The sweetest older man standing in line behind me followed me outside and tried to console me (okay props Texas...you have sweet old men). He took my number and said he would try to find someone. He even called me later and told me he called all his friends, but no one could take him. Very sweet of him.

I've been going back and forth on keeping him. I would love to, and I mean LOVE to, but I have to think responsibly. One dog really is enough. Ruby is like an only child and she is not a fan of sharing the spotlight. And I would totally play favoritism towards her. I know it's not right, but it's a fact of life. Get over it. At work today I asked everyone all over the hospital. I got one No after another. I've texted practically everyone I know...nothin. So I called my mom who always knows how to fix everything (and hates when I cry...literally she would cut off her own arm if it meant it would make things better). She attached his photo to an e-mail and sent it to her whole office. Good 'Ole Okies to the rescue! Within literally a few minutes we had one person saying he will take Mr. Bentley (the pup just wasn't answering to Aticus) and another person offering to foster the pup until a home was found. Ahhhh....Oklahoma how I love thee. So now I can stop crying. And Mr. Bentley has a home as of this weekend. Below is the sweetest little face ever...besides Ruby ;)

I'm not the only one that thinks this either:

"I've spent most of my life living in cities where people are obsessed with looking down on people from everywhere else. You get so used to doing it that you start to believe it's simply what everyone does. It makes for an atmosphere of unwelcome that penetrates much of our modern life. It's a shame really because a couple days in Oklahoma will open your eyes to how much better it would be if the rest of the country was filled with a few more people from Oklahoma."

-Adam Duritz
(Counting Crows)