Sometimes It's the Right Thing to Do

This is Samantha. She was loved and cared for by our neighbor across the street until he died 10 days ago. My first day in this house, I met Sam and her owner out by the mailbox--he was in a bathrobe, smoking a cigar while Sam sniffed around at his feet. They were quite the elderly pair, and made me instantly love the neighborhood. Another neighbor told me I must introduce myself to Samantha, and she greeted me with a wagging tail.
After his death, I watched a constant parade of relatives going in and out of the house, and knew Samantha's quiet life had been disrupted. Slowly, the relatives left, and earlier this week, we realized that Sam must be there alone. Someone was coming in a couple of times a day to feed her, but otherwise she was on her own. That made us so sad, to think of a dog alone in a house when she's got to know her beloved owner was not coming back.
Karen and I talked it over, and yesterday, I went to get some information from the caregiver. Samantha, at age 14, was healthy and lovable and sadly, unwanted by the family. None of them could give her a home, so they were looking for a place for her.
What could I do? She's a sweet dog who has devoted her life to a couple who are now gone. She's done the best she could, and through no fault of her own, she's been...well....abandoned. She deserves to live out the rest of her life with people who will care for her and love her--not as her previous owners did--I know they loved her the best she will ever be loved. So, I asked to speak to the family, and as of today, Samantha lives with us.
I know there will be some adjustments. She seems fine with the cats, and she and Kiki are already partners in begging. She's got to get used to us, and we to her. But she already loves the back yard. Her bed, complete with the bathrobe worn by her beloved owner, is in our dining room. And I think tomorrow she will like us a little more than she does today, and vice versa. And an elderly dog will find that there are rewards for doing the best you could.