Day 27

My Pets
 I have two cocker spaniels. Mellie and Kiki. They are both rescues and I absolutely LOVE them!

This is Mellie.  We got in March of 2004. She was just about the most pathetic thing you ever did see. In February of 2004, we were in Petsmart one day and I heard my mom from another aisle call my name. I walked around and saw this practically hairless, shaking, super skinny dog. It was Mellie (or Amber, as the organization called her).  She has been abandoned by her owner in December with a bag of food. The realtor found her a MONTH, tied up in the backyard. She was so matted and gross that had to shave all her hair off and she weighed  pounds when she's supposed to weigh about 18!  Well, we fell in love and decided to adopt her.  She was very skiddish and scared all the time for a REALLY long time, but over the last two years, she has really come out of her shell. She is so sweet and loving. She loves to have her belly rubbed ad her best trick is turning in a circle, which she does anyways when she gets really excited. She still shakes when she's scared and she is still skiddish, but she is absolutely precious and we love her very much. She is also more of my mom's dog, but we share.

This is Kiki. We got her from the same rescue organization. Her story is nothing like Mellie's. Her owners just didn't want her anymore. I cannot understand but I'm very glad to have this sweet girl. We got her in December of 2008.  There is this great antique store/ flea market near our house that my mom and I love. We walked in one day and there she was. She got all excited and I felt like she chose us.  We petted and played with her for a long time, but decided to think about it over the weekend and then decide since we already had two dogs.  This was Friday. By Saturday night, we couldn't stand it anymore, called and said we wanted her and took her home that Sunday afternoon.  Our family couldn't believe we got another dog, but she belonged to us and became a part of our little family.Her owners' named her MacKenzie. The organization shortened it to Kenzie. We shortened it to Kiki and it fits her. I think she has a little bit of an attitude, not like a bad one, but lots of personality.  She has a docked tail so when she gets excited her whole butt moves.  She loves to play and cuddle. She also looks a little bit like a bear club.  She's my baby. She also doesn't mind having her picture taken.

I said I have two dogs and that is true. This is Joe. He is our dog (can't bring myself to say was, because he will always be ours).  We had to put him down the last week of August, because of cancer. He was around 8 years old. I still miss this sweet dog. He was also a cocker spaniel and we got him from the same organization. He had gone through two owners when we adopted him. One of them tied him up outside and in all the years we had him, there was a place on his neck that no hair would grow. That's how long he was tied up. The other owner kept him in a cage in the basement alone all the time. When the couple got pregnant, out he went. Now there is something very important you need to know about Joe, he is a people dog. All he wanted was to be near you. He LOVED to cuddle and had separation anxiety. So these two owners treated him wrong. I don't understand why you wouldn't want him at your feet all the time. He would sit at the window and "talk" to the lizards. He chased bumblebees and rolled in the grass.  We got Joe in 2006. I found him on a website and fell is love. His name was Slick. I wanted to call him Romeo, but Jojo hit better, and Joe was perfect for him.  I wanted him, because I wanted my own dog. (Mom had stolen Mellie from me!) Well, he was Mom and I's dog. He was really sick the last two weeks and his last 24 hours are seared in my mind. He was completely incontinent during that time so he was to wear a diaper which meant he needed at least two baths a day.  Thursday night, I came home late and Mom and I bathed him and carried his fralile body upstairs to blow-dry him and brush him and I just began to weep. I knew, Mom knew, he knew. That night I slept in my mom's bed with Joe in between us. He snuggled next to me all night. In the morning, we took him to the vet for a last ditch effort to save our precious boy. By the afternoon, they called and said there was no hope. So Mom and I went to vet to be with him. We talked and petted him and loved him while it all happened. I proceeded to ball the entire way home and then for another hour probably on the couch. We were devastated. (P.S. I'm writing this and sobbing). I went to take my dogs out that night and his name was on my lips. But he would never come when I called him again. Nor would he wag his tail when I walked in or come greet me. I still miss that little guy.


Dogs have a way of getting into your heart. You become so attached. They become a part of your family and are always willing to give love and affection,. Their love is pretty unconditional. I love my dogs very much. I came home today from being out of town and spent 10 minutes on the floor petting them. They are wonderful and you can't convince me otherwise.