They told me at the pound that I just had to wait til Tuesday before I could take you home. I showed up today because I thought you might need me to. You were tied up to the door at the front office and I didn't know why you weren't in the pen assigned to you til Tuesday. There was this nasty looking man seated opposite the control officer on duty. I opened the door, and asked why you were here. The man said he was taking you with him. My blood pressure jumped a million notches. I was playing the system, why wasn't he? Technically a stray in our area is cause for a 5 day business hold, that's what they told me when I begged to take her home Saturday. I had just shown up here today because I wanted to talk to her, reassure her she was going home with me tomorrow. It was automatic. Then all of a sudden things changed. Saturday I was this poor pitiful girl crying in the middle of the shelter, today, I was Hell on Wheels!!! No way was this beautiful girl leaving with such a person. I played it straight by the book. I knew the rules, I had learned them Saturday. I pointed out the dates, and the fact that legally she can't be adopted til 1:00 on Tuesday. I could smell the liquor on his breath from across the room. This made me madder. There were 2 pictures running through my mind- this beautiful girl chained up in a front yard barking at anyone and anything, or her enjoying the life my Chess could not finish. There was no way she was going with him, I won't let that happen. He tried to tell the officer that he was the perfect person for her, but I could tell the officer had more sense than that. The officer left the room for a few moments, leaving me and that man alone. I brought forth all the courage I could- I threatened him. It was the most perfect thing I had ever done. I told him if he tried to take her from me I would hold nothing back- was he willing to go to court? After all, I had all these volunteers and workers at the shelter who could positively declare he was drunk! Could he afford that? I told him I could, and would if he dare challenged me... So what, I bluffed. He left. I couldn't afford a court battle, not after what my vet bills are, but I would do it if I had to. I pick up my new 'Holly' tomorrow. The shelter won't open to me til 1:00, I'll be there at 11:00. I got a book to read, I'm not in any hurry.