My Nickel’s Worth
When I was growing up, I wanted a golden retriever. Yeah, I wanted an Air Bud to play sports with me. But, my mom and dad had lost their Westie in a freak accident years before, and they just weren’t willing to invest their hearts in a new puppy.
When I was in junior high, I was a little awkward around dogs. I had never had a pet, and finally, one day, my mom announced to my dad that we were getting a dog. Since she is allergic to dogs, she had to choose one that was hypoallergenic. A few days later, we drove to Jacksboro to pick up our puppy. To our surprise, it was the smallest Malti-poo you have ever seen—it was a tiny little ball of white fur, and she was smaller than my cell phone. We had bought a designer dog—like a super model carries in her purse.
My dreams of a golden retriever were gone. Little did I know that this tiny teacup Malti-poo would steal our hearts and boss us around!
When “Ellie,” was a year old, my sister decided the puppy was lonely, and she insisted that we find Ellie a friend. My dad said he was not paying hundreds of dollars for another dog, and if she found one, it would be a rescue. So, my little sister started looking at hundreds of dog posts from near-by shelters—she insisted that we had to adopt a Morkie (Malti-poo/Yorkie mix)she found at Bethel Animal Rescue in Davis, Oklahoma, and the next week, we were headed to Gainesville to meet the director to adopt Noah.
Noah was skittish, hid behind potted plants, and was 9 months old. He had been in a puppy mill barn, so he would climb our stairs and look down at us through the slats. He had been used to being stacked in a barn, high up, in a dog cage. It was the saddest thing. But, within a few months, he was starting to trust us, and he has been the best dog. It’s like he just knows we saved him. He is loving and protective, and I have learned a great deal from these two dogs over the past eight years. When I went to college and returned for a visit, the dogs circled me, crying and crying. They had missed me! Nothing like being loved by a dog, and rescue dogs are often the best.
When I see a dog chained outside in cold or hot weather—with their eyes just looking dead inside, my heart breaks. If you have a dog that you don’t want, don’t chain it up outside or neglect it. Do the right thing and find someone who can give the dog the love and attention it needs. Please don’t leave your pets outside in the elements and without any way to defend themselves. Dogs don’t live that long—so do what you can to make their lives count for the short amount of time they have. You will never regret being kind to a pet--they always love you back!