I don’t know when the allure of “redhaired” dogs first manifested itself in me, but I can guarantee that it overtook my heart like a train wreck! I use the word “allure” because that is the most accurate word I can find to describe the madness:

Allure
al·lure [əˈlo͝or]

noun
plural noun:allures

the quality of being powerfully and mysteriously attractive or fascinating.

“people for whom gold holds no allure”

Synonyms: attraction, lure, draw, pull, appeal, glamour, allurement, enticement, temptation, bewitchment, enchantment, charm, seduction, persuasion, fascination, magnetism

Antonyms: repulsion

– from OxfordDictionaries @ Oxford University Press

Sometime in early 1974, I acquired my very first redhaired dog. She was a purebred, AKC registered, Irish Setter puppy that I named Lady. To me, she was the grandest dog in the world! I was smitten! Cue in all of the photo videos you’ve seen of Irish Setter puppies and you’ve got the picture. No, really, check out this YouTube video (https://youtu.be/QMDTtUJPBBk) and you’ll at least appreciate why I was hooked! Lady grew into a beautiful, well-conformed example of the breed… and I had plans for her….

Fast forward to that year’sThanksgiving weekend. We had just purchased a barebones Ford Econoline Van for the purpose of converting it into a camper (remember, this was the early 70s). Barebones described the inside quite well; you could see the reinforcement ribs throughout the back half, no carpet past the front seats. Did I mention it had manual transmission? And, the fact that I had never driven a stick shift before, except once in an emergency? Because I needed to gain experience driving what was, at the time, the largest vehicle I had ever driven or owned, I took it for a short drive to the neighborhood gas station for a fill-up. It was a pretty wild and jerky ride to say the least, but I made it safely and didn’t take out any gas pumps turning the corner. While gassing up, I overheard a conversation at the next car over about an Irish Setter that was going up for adoption at the Humane Society the following Monday morning. Did I just hear what I thought I heard? Or was this just a rumor and too good to be true? I was certainly going to find out! I didn’t ask any questions because I didn’t want anyone to know that I was interested.

Monday morning, I was at the Humane Society before the doors opened! It was no rumor! The most stunningly beautiful, adult male Irish Setter I had ever seen was there in his cage waiting to greet me. His name was Brutus (and he totally rocked that name)! Brutus was a 3-year-old purebred male WITH AKC papers, and still intact (yes, he still had his boy parts). For whatever reason, his previous owner could no longer keep him and had turned him in for adoption, papers and all. A sad time for them, but a joyful one for me! I think I held my breath the whole time I was filling out the adoption paperwork with Brutus sitting patiently by my side. I was so afraid that it was all a dream and that any minute, someone would come in and tell me I was being pranked. When the paperwork was complete, I loaded that sweet boy up in my new van and hauled fanny out of there as quickly as I knew how! Brutus was mine! But he might not have been too happy about that, considering the ride home. Though he sat in the front passenger seat like he owned it, I’m sure there were a few scary moments for him before we got home.

To be continued….