Last year for Jennifer's birthday, we adopted a dog from the Humane Society.
10+ years old, black, lab mix. Seemed sweet, did well in pre-adoption testing, including meeting our Silky Terrier, Tigger.

That didn't go so well. Not well at all.
http://squidb0i.livejournal.com/154404.html
Probably the worst thing that's ever happened to me.

We lost another dog this year, Tiny Tim. He at least went as a result of being 16+ years old and having advanced lymphatic cancer.
http://squidb0i.livejournal.com/175474.html

This year, I was determined to not only get Jennifer the best gift I could, but to do what I could to alleviate the horrific awfulness of last year's birthday and the passing of the Tim.

So my path was clear. Find a puppy.
Shih Tzu or Yorkie/Silkie. Boy if possible.

Much looking in the usual places; pound, craigs list, etc.
No dice. Meanwhile, I've got a couple hundred squirreled away so I can move on it if I find one.

Had finally given up and was looking at pool tables, which is what she'd been talking about, or maybe just some books. Crap.

I'm in Smiths returning one of those Redbox autovendor movies, come out, look at the bulletin board. Flyer says 'new years yorkies'. What the hell. I probably can't afford what they're asking, but you never know.

Turns out she's got some boys and girls, yes, but wants 700 and 800 respectively.
"Ok, well, I was hoping to find a new buddy for $400, but that's okay. Good luck to you.."
She says 'No no wait! I have a boy who's bigger than the rest and just starting to change color. You can have him for that much".

I arrange to come over. They live a few blocks from my house, so that's convenient. Two momma doggies and 5 tiny baby yorkies, all zipping around playing, climbing up on me. Oh, it was glorious. =] I could barely zero in on the boy she was showing me for all the awesome fuzzy chaos swirling around my feet. He seemed fine, insanely cute, very friendly, super energetic, chasing the momma dogs onto couches where he could not follow.

You can see in the picture above, his little face and head are starting to turn silver from black. He looks like he has roots, or maybe he's going bald like daddy did. ;]
Got little sharp puppy teeth in his surprisingly large mouth. When he opens it up real wide to bite your ankle, he looks a little bit like Fizzgig from the Dark Crystal. He should grow up to be about ten pounds.

Got a puppy with a week to spare. Sweet!

Make arrangements to come pick him up day of Jen's birthday at 4pm.
Day comes, all goes smooth.
One AKC yorkie boy. Check.
=D

He was very brave on the car ride home. I took it real slow.
Brought him in and let the girls sniff him from inside their kennel first, then gradual introductions and careful supervision. Ozzy tolerated him, which is probably the best we'll ever get from Mr. Grumpy Pants. All according to plan.

I thought about how best to surprise her. Hide him upstairs? No way, he'll bark and cry, probably get into trouble. No way I'm putting him in a box or something.
Best to just let him join in the 'good hello' she'll get when she comes home.
Yeah, that's the way of it.

And so it was.
=]

Took about two weeks for the girls to accept him completely, but now the three of them play nearly constantly. Ozzy still tolerates him, so that's good. Probably the best we'll ever get.

The bed is very full now, but I wouldn't have it any other way.
=]

Today started great, then went so far downhill I feel like I'm in an emotional salt-mine.

Had some breakfast, then went to the Humane Society to adopt Rock, the dog we had selected yesterday. A sweet older lab mix, head sort of like an afghan. Black, old, big, he had all the whammys against him being adopted, had been there since Sept.

We introduced him to Tigger yesterday, at the HS, and they got along fine. He also didnt react at all to the other dogs or kids or cats in the halls.

We reintroduced them today, at leash ends, outside the house. Same friendly reaction. Took them both for a long walk around the neighborhood. Two dog pack.

Brought him in slowly, he more or less ignored the cats. Loved Tiny Tim, and vice versa, they were playing at several points. Even the cats decided he was okay, insomuch as cats accept a new critter. Then followed three hours of domestic bliss with our new pet, whom we were going to rename Jonah.

Then I made lunch. Tuna sandwiches. Gave Tigger the can as always, kitties get the juice on their kibble. Gave Rock a little piece of tuna. Then I dropped a piece of lettuce. Neither Tigger nor Rock were into it.

I reached to pick it up, and that's when Rock attacked Tigger.
He clamped down hard on his tiny little neck and head with those big jaws and shook him.

We were standing next to them at the time, so immobilized Rock and forced him to release Tigger. He didn't want to, but he did.

Jennifer took poor Tigger and laid him on the dining room table, while I led Rock outside and shut the door.

Tigger's left eye was partially popped out, and he was barely breathing.
No blood, but his eyes are open, and he's clearly in a critical state.
We lined a cookie pan with a towel, slid him onto it, and wrapped him in another, and hauled ass across town to the emergency vet.

Jen drove the jeep, I held poor Tigger and talked to him.

Half way there, he started to come out of it, and tried to move around more and more as we went. Made this feeble little groaning sound, but his breathing was improving as well.

We arrived and handed him off, started filling out paperwork, explained what happened to the doctor. They told us he was in bad shape, but that they would do everything they could and would call us if they got any new information, or if anything changed. They'd already popped his eye back in. Said he was sort of listing to the left, in shock, and very disoriented.

We went home, put Rock into the Jeep, and brought him back to the Humane Society, surrendered him. They were very nice and apologetic and as shocked as we were. We felt guilty even then, surrendering a pet, even one we'd had for all of 3 hours, but we had no choice with 6 other pets for him to potentially kill . He wont be euthanized, they're no-kill, but has a big fat red flag against adoption to a house with other pets. Probably kids too.

From there we went back to the vet. After an hour or so, they called us in.
They took xrays, and he has no visible spinal damage, but there is a pulmonary edema and a skull fracture, which are the two things they're most worried about, and some damage to the cartilage of his little throat, which should heal if he survives.

Tomorrow I have to take him to get an MRI or CAT or something, then bring him back.
The vets have hope, called him a fighter, but are giving us no illusions about his chances, which are completely unknowable at this point.

Our emotional state since the incident has ranged from mercifully drained to completely despondent.