Starbucks sells (or gives away) Puppachinos- cups of whipped cream for the pooch in your life. Riley was making the rounds at work with me one morning when I decided to stop by Panera for a hot chai and a croissant to go. I grabbed her the Panera version of this doggy delicacy, and here’s the adorableness that ensued:
Filed under Animals
I laugh when I look at my last blog post, not only because I’m so remiss in updating, but because I could not have been more unsuspecting of how off-base it was.
This summer was a dog summer, to be sure. Javen and I welcome a wonderful dog named Ziggy into our lives unexpectedly, and just as quickly as he came he was gone. But that’s for another blog post, when I’m ready to talk about it. Today I want to keep things happy.
It’s my pleasure to introduce to you a wonderful dog named Riley.
We met at the Oklahoma City Animal Welfare Division. She was bunking in the small dog stray room, in run 309. I’d visited the room to see a border collie/australian shepherd mix someone told me I might like. That dog didn’t do it for me, he was larger, very hairy, and looked much more aussie than border to me. We didn’t click. As I went to leave, I turned around and saw this:
My heart was a flutter. Her sweet face peered up at me and she wiggled submissively. She was excited, but not as frantic as most of the attention-starved dogs in the kennels surrounding us. As I stood there and talked to her and her kennel mate, a large-pawed bully breed puppy, this black and white beauty would sit placidly, then stand to rest her paws on the front of the cage. She didn’t climb, bark, or howl; she just looked up sweetly.
I was immediately taken with her but knew that it wasn’t the best time for me to get a dog. I took the above picture of her with my phone and made a note of her ID number. She still had a few days of stray time left and I figured my problem would be solved when she was either reclaimed by her owner, adopted out, or sent to a rescue organization.
Over the next couple of days I couldn’t help but thinking about her. I’d pull out my phone to look at the picture I’d snapped hastily. I couldn’t get her little face out of my mind. She was just too perfect. To make a long story short, I mentioned it to Javen and told him I honestly may end up bringing her home if the whim struck me. It did.
On August 15th, 2011 I brought home Riley. She had been spayed that morning at the shelter, and normally wouldn’t have been able to be adopted until the next day. I worked my shelter connections and thanks to a couple great friends, I was able to bring her home a day early. The poor dog looked and felt like shit. Due to a nasty case of kennel cough, her nose was full of brown snot and she had an icky hacking cough. Her surgery incision looked awful, there was a little blood seeping from it due to the fact that she was in heat before the spay. Because of her extended stay at the shelter and their unfortunate lack of volunteers & resources, she was in desperate need of a bath. The white on her legs was crusted with dark yellow urine, not entirely her own. For the next week she just hung around the house. I was really worried. She moved very little, had trouble urinating, and had little interest in food, water, and toys.
After a good round of antibiotics, and lots of love, her personality began to shine through. There are several pics, so I’ll get my thoughts out now:
1. Look at that smile!
2. Can you believe those ears?
3. She loves carrying bowls around, and loves eating even more. She inhales food.
4. Goofy face.
5. She’s perfect.
Filed under Animals
I can’t wait to get a dog someday. I know I’m not ready- far from it- but I look forward to a time when I’ll have a canine to keep me company. On that note, here are the breeds I regularly peruse pictures of while I’m daydreaming.
1. Border Collie
These beauties have long been my dream-dog. Their intelligence, grace, and reputation for being neurotic are what make them (in my opinion) the best breed of dog. My ideal dog is probably a border collie mix- one with the grace and intelligence, but with a little less of the need to expel ginormous amounts of energy each day. I need a pooch who’ll do okay in an apartment with walks twice a day. Nevertheless, aren’t they gorgeous?
Border Collie
Smiling Border Collie
Herding Border Collie
2. Cardigan Welsh Corgi
These dogs have it all- big ears, short legs, bushy tails, and feisty personalities. Perhaps I love short dogs because I’m so tall. A reverse-Napoleon complex? (It works both ways, JC!) They’re a herding breed, like the border collie, so maybe that’s my thing? Dogs that like to work? Whatever the case, their smiles melt me.
Smiling Corgi
\Cardigan Welsh Corgi
3. Shetland Sheep Dog
My love of shelties likely stems from my utter obsession with border collies. Still, I love their mini-Lassie look and have met many noble shelties in my time. From my grandparents dog Sassy to the late Willow, they all seem to steal my heart. If the right rescue pup came along, I’d adopt him/her in a heartbeat.
Sheltie
4. Dachshund
Another short dog. My family has had dachshund mixes for most of my life, and I do like the little critters. They’re feisty and just plain adorable. It’s those stubby legs… they get me every time. The best part is that they look great with any hairdo!
Wire, Smooth, and Long Hair Dachshunds
5. Beagle
When I read Shiloh as a kid, I became fond of beagles. They’ve got such a “dog” attitude, happy and relaxed, eager to please, and appreciative of a good scratch behind the ears. A dog-sitting client of mine is a beagle (named Pete) and he’s by far my favorite beagle of all time. Who can resist those floppy ears?
Beagle
It feels so good to clean my apartment. I’m rarely in the mood to do it, but today something snapped. I also went through the car wash and emptied my car out. Clean feels good.
Filed under Uncategorized
Dani, one of the best people I’ve ever known, is boarding a plane for Australia tomorrow. She’s packed one backpack and a purse. The girl’s got guts.
Saying goodbye was hard for me, I wanted to hug her so tight that her trademark curls straightened out. As I drove away I ended up laughing and crying at the same time. I am SO excited for her, the adventure she’s about to embark on will be truly life-changing. How extraordinary, to move to Australia for a year carrying only the things that fit into a backpack! She’s a courageous gal, and I love her so much.
This one’s for you, Dani!
