Puedo

Chris & Paula

Innisfree Ranch

A few years back, before we got married and built our home at Innisfree Ranch, Paula lived in a very isolated area with her dog ICAN.  ICAN was named because she was so timid when Paula found her as a ragged stray---maybe she'll post that story!  She thought ICAN would be a good confidence building name for this fragile stray.  ICAN was pretty senior when I first started dating Paula and she eventually left us.  We used to go to shelters every chance we had to try and find another dog for Paula but she had a particular image in mind and we couldn't find that image.

One day I (Chris) visited the shelter in Hayward, California and saw the cutest little guy (puppy!) I'd ever seen.  He was a confident, exuberant puppy!  I immediately knew he was "the one".  I took some digital pictures and sent them to Paula with a story about how he would love to live in the country with her and that he promised to be a good boy.  His name: Puedo.  If you know a little Spanish, you know that puedo is Spanish for "I can"!  Needless to say it was an easy sale...

He is an incredible dog.  And yes, you name it and... he can.

Julie

Chris & Paula

Innisfree Ranch

We decided some time ago that Puedo needed a roommate.  He is a very social dog and loves all dogs.  He's good with big ones (he's over a hundred pounds) and very gentle with little ones. He loves to play!  So, we decided to look around for a playmate.  My grandmother insightfully recommended a female for him.  Females tend to get along great with male dogs that are established in the household.  They'll let the older male dominate yet they are able to hold their ground without "tussles".  And, a female generally won't "pack" with a male and cause problems like wandering, fighting other dogs, hunting, etc.  Puedo doesn't have those behaviors but we were concerned that adding another dog might change his behavior.

Back to the point!  I was at Wal-Mart and the "dog lady" was there with a couple dogs from the local shelter.  Cheryl (the dog lady) volunteers all her time to try and place dogs from the local shelters.  (She's the founder of S.N.I.P.)  This particular day she had a very skittish, very small female lab mix adolescent with her.  I felt something special about that little runt and invited Cheryl out to the ranch for lunch.  Cheryl brought her out and we let the dogs interact.  Puedo was thrilled to have dog company!  The little lab was afraid of everything---Puedo intimidated her  so she wouldn't play.  The open space seemed to scare her and she really wouldn't come too close to either Paula or me.  Still, I just felt something for that little runt.  Cheryl told us they had named her Jewel at the shelter.  I thought she was a jewel!

Anyway, we told Cheryl we'd talk about it and call her the next day.  I was sold.  Puedo was sold too.  Paula was sort of sold.  Paula picked her up the next day.  We were told that she would not eat with other dogs and was very timid.  Puedo changed that quick.  They had dinner together the first day.  He's a perfect gentleman and did not disturb her while eating.  He didn't go to her dish and "finish up" her food either.  She saw that she could eat at her leisure and relax.   Oh yeah, the name.  She was such a petite little girl dog that Julie seemed a good fit to me.  And she really relaxed and fit right in---she's the sweetest---Julie Bean.  And she's all black---reminds me of French Roast.  So I nicknamed her Beans.   And she's full of beans! 

She started playing with the big guy within days and the two are inseparable today.  She put on weight (from 34 to 42 pounds), gained a lot of muscle and is healthy, confident and social..  She really bonded with us and we can't imagine life before her!  Puedo is crazy about her and she loves her big brother.  They play constantly and have established their routines... 

She was Julie all along and I knew it.

Cheyenne

Hud Oates

Weed, CA

When I was a little kid, all I ever wanted was a dog.  My dad had one stipulation for getting a dog.  It had to be a hunting dog, able to track game.  He wanted a Queensland Heeler (Australian Cattle Dog).  I remember not being too excited about this possibility.  I wanted one of the ”cute“ dogs.  After some searching, we found an ad for Queensland puppies up in the Shasta Valley.  My mom and I took a trip to look at them.  I remember going through this gate and these eight grey balls of fur running around the corner of this house.  One dog came right to me and sat down in front of me and looked up at me with the most beautiful brown eyes.  My father had one other stipulation, so I lifted the pup up and discovered she was a she.  SOLD!!!  The puppy was meant for us.  Now, came the task of coming up with a name.  My brother and his family lived in Cheyenne, Wyoming at the time.  I kept thinking that Cheyenne would be a good name.  I studied the dog for quite a while.  She was sweet and lovable, yet quite rambunctious.  Somehow, Cheyenne seemed to fit.  She was absolutely the best pup for 17 years, and I still think of her each day, even though she is gone.

Ramsey

Brian Christenson

Garrison, MN

It was after Christmas and my wife wanted another dog very badly and my kids fell in love with a Japanese Chin at the pet store. When they brought the dog home we had to come up with a name for him so we sat around coming up with a bunch of very bad names. We could not decide who would get to pick the name. Well, at the time the superbowl was on, the Rams vs the Patriots, so we decided that whoever won the superbowl that's what we would name the new dog. Either Pat or Ramsey. Well the Patriots won but we all hated the name Pat so his name is Ramsey.

Squizit, Gracie, Tucker, Callie, Liza, Peaches, Roxy, & Ham Bone

Louis

Atlanta,  GA

SQUIZIT - She was absolutely exquisite.  nuf said?

GRACIE - Had just seen the PBS show on Amazing Grace.  I was moved.

TUCKER - When he came along he used to keep his tail tucked under him.

CALLIE - Calamity Jane.  Yep, she is a mess (a bundle of love)!

LIZA - She was a huge puppy and quite precocious.  I started calling her ”Ms Piggy“.  Well, I could not keep calling her that so I started thinking of other ”pigs“ and thought of G. B. Shaw’s play ”Pygmalion“.  That started me thinking about the Broadway play based on this work.  And that brought to mind the lead character ”Liza Dolittle“.  And that is how I went from Ms Piggy to Liza.  What a loose train of thought that was! 

PEACHES & ROXY & HAMBONE were just plain fun.

Each one brought their own special love.  How dogs can teach us humans how to love!  I have seen the crusty-est of men melt into smiles with the unconditional love brought by a little dog. 

I am saddened that only Callie and Liza remain with me today.  But my life is (aren’t all our lives?) all the better for having shared it with these ”love sponges“.  I am hearteded by the poem ”Rainbow Bridge“.  I hope we can all frolic in pastures and throw balls and frisbees and roll around in the grass again one day.  

Katie

Judy

Colorado

Last year in the month

of snowy December

To my door came a gift-

I'll always remember. . .

A puppy!  A dog!

In the arms of a man

A girl dog so special

He said she'd understand. . .

That sometimes my life

Could be very sad

She'd remind me to give thanks

For ALL that I had. . .

To name this puppy -

I tried for two days

But every one he "vetoed" -

My mind was is a haze. . .

I suggested Star,

Jewel, Socks, Abby, . . . Slog   (Slog?)

To these all - my friend replied,

"Then I'll call her - Dog." . . .

"What about Katie?"

I asked him with a sigh

"I like it!", he exclaimed.

I though I would cry. . .

So, that's been her name

From that day to this -

And we have adventures

I would NOT want to miss . . .

Le Petite Buster Bear

John & Julia Hornick

Weyers Cave, Virginia

Love this idea! When my husband John got sick and was on medical leave from work for chemotherapy, I thought wouldn't it be nice if John had a companion to keep him company during the day. I've always loved the sweetness and kind nature of Bichon Frise's so we added a little boy puppy to our family. After much thought and reading up on the origin of the Bichon, we found after the French Revolution these 'curly little lap dogs' were left out on the street to fend for themselves. They're very smart and would perform tricks for peasants to earn a pence or whatnot for the peasant and in return, the dog would get some bread or food for performing the trick. The books always made a mention of 'hardy street dogs', we found it kind of funny that this little puff ball was at one time a 'street tough' dog. So, we thought we'd give him a tough name, or at least a slightly intimidating

Though snipped now, he wasn't when we decided on his name...Le Petite

'Buster' Bear. The Bear coming from our 10 year old niece who thought he looked like a teddy bear, which he did. So, that's the story and I'm stickin' to it.

Buster is now 18 months old and 20 lbs of pure adorable lovin'! Since he's French command, gives High 5's, speaks and when you say "Say it Loud, Say it Proud", he'll bark louder! He can also sit, though doesn't often if there is a piece of beef involved.

Can I add to Buster's story....

I feel the need to elaborate a little and let you know when we added him to our family as a companion for John, we also thought if John had someone else to love, it would get his mind off of cancer and put his mind into playing with his new best pal. John, when originally diagnosed was given 3 months to live, and that was 22 months ago.

So in some ways, Buster was a therapy dog for both of us, as we'd lost our daughter, she was stillborn 6 months prior to adding Buster to our family. We found out John had terminal cancer at the age of 29, 8 weeks after losingGrace Isabella. So, Buster has been just as much a joy to me as he is to his daddy.

Buster and John are best buddies. Buster thinks John is another dog. I'm certainly the mama, the no-no'er, the one who bathes and grooms Buster weekly, like his own mama would do, but John is his best friend, the one who would go run around with him, allow him to grab and play with his ankles when walking, just being playmates. Now that John's health has declined and he's bedridden and paralysed, Buster still remains by his side, protecting him from all who come for visits...making sure they're okay to allow in the house...even with his barking to intimidate all the fella's, his tail is wagging a mile a minute.

He's never even growled at anyone, he's just that sweet. And the beautiful part is that his daddy, John is just as sweet a person. We've both sworn, Buster is our little boy, just in a dog's body. Hedoesn't know he's not people and we certainly treat him like a child and not a dog. He's by our side 24/7, in my lap in the car, and in the hospital on John's bed during hospital stays. He's a welcome surprise for the nurses on the oncology wing...he brings a little sunshine and smile to anyone's face and of course, will french kiss ya' if you get close enough :0)

As I like to think each morning when I greet the day and Buster with a BIG 'Good Morning Buster', and get tons of kisses and loving in return, I thank God everyday for bringing this little dog into our lives....he adds happiness to my life and saves me $85 a week on therapy just from the morning kisses I get :0) Just like a Hershey Bar, he's pure Happiness!

You'll have to read the story!

Julia Velja

Yreka, CA

  ***PLEASE SEND THE REST OF THE STORY!!!***

I will start with a bit of background. Upon migrating back to America, after having lived in Australia for 15 years, we had a few issues with the INS and my husband was required to stay in Australia while I came here to run our newly purchased business in Siskiyou county. Our two young daughters, aged 4 & 5 at the time, stayed there with him as I was going to have to run the business on my own in his absence. After 2 months without my family I was very lonely and craving companionship and cuddles. I decided that it was the perfect time to aquire our first family dog and I started to search for a boxer puppy. I had always liked the breed and I knew that they were quite good family dogs. I searched the 4 phone books I had, covering northern California and southern Oregon, but with no luck in finding a boxer breeder. I decided to contact the local pet store and ask if they had any information for me. The owner, informed me of a local dog shelter called the Rescue Ranch. She told me that they had a young boxer/sharpei cross up for adoption. I immediately contacted Dan and Mary (the wonderful saviours that run Rescue Ranch) and organized a time that I could meet that particular dog. I have to admit, I will never forget the first time I laid eyes on him, or the overwhelming feeling that we belonged together! So immediately I started asking all kinds of questions about him, which is when I discovered that this approximately 2 year old male dog was named Axl . . . that's right, AXL! Honestly, I instantly knew that if I was allowed to be owned by this dog he was going to be getting a new name instantly!! Upon voicing that to Dan and Mary, they both advised me that as he had been used to the name Axl for 2 years it would be best that I choose something that at least sounded the same. Of course that was going to limit the options, but nonetheless I agreed with them. So, the re-naming process started the day that Axl came home with me. After spending many hours together getting to know one another I started tr

Hi Julia!!!!!  Please send the rest of the story!  Apparently you were cut off!

Roxy

Maria E. Xiques

Patterson, NJ

The next day, I checked the porch again and there she was. Same spot. I called in "sick" to my job and then spent some time outside with the pooch -- trying to get a sense of how she was, temperament wise. After a while, I decided to take the risk and try to get the pooch to get in my car with me so I could take it to the vet. I figured it was hurt -- given the blood stains.

She followed me, trustingly, and limped a bit as she got into my car. I had to help her a bit. I then drove about 20 minutes with this dog, a stranger to me, in the back seat. Visions of Cujo danced in my head.

On that drive, I thought of the movie Look Who's Talking, with the mutt they call "Rocks." I decided I'd call the dog Rocks, if my housemate would let me keep her. When we got to the vet, the first thing she did was poop on the floor -- and it was like little rocks. After they checked her out, gave her a bath, told me she was a girl (and menstruating to boot!!! Just my luck!!), I decided to call her "Roxy," - a more feminine version of "Rocks." I then begged - and I do mean shamelessly begged - my housemate to keep her.

That was it -- Roxy came home with me. We hung out in the den and she slept sooo soundly, laying with me on the carpet and in the sunlight coming thru the window.

Roxy is, without a doubt, the love of my life. I always wanted, but never could have, a dog. My family lived in inner city apartments. Not long after my (now) housemate accepted Roxy into her home, I moved in too. Roxy was diagnosed last February with a brain tumor -- but seems to be hanging in there just fine. One day I noticed she started drooling and drooping on one side of her face. Took her to the vet and they think it is a particular type of tumor because of specific neurological signs. But, so far, so good. She's hanging in there. About 10 years old. One year old when she found me. They tell me she's a mix of Border Collie and Shephard, or some such combo. Definitely Border Collie in there. If I could, I'd send you a photo -- of course I'm biased, but she is one of the prettiest dogs I've ever seen.

There it is. The saga of Roxy.

DIOJI

Cathy

Mission Hills, CA

Actually, it wasn't my dog, it was a cute little dog belonging to a Chinese-American family who lived a mile or so from our house - - their daughter was my classmate in high school. I met their dog and loved it's exotic Chinese-sounding name - - so I asked her, "What does your dog's name mean?"

She looked at me, incredulously.

"It means dog," she said, "D-O-G....Dioji!"

(I thought that was quite good!----Chris)

Reginald Irving Van Bland the First

Susan Bland

Syracruse

Reg was a little dopey. When we went to pick out which pup we wanted the owners put them on a pool table and he fell into the whole. We we were going to name him Irving but he just wasn't that bright! We Got Reginald out of the phone book because we liked all the variatians. Reg, Reggie, Reginauld, Nauldo. He got Irving as a middle name because my sisters and I liked Irving - it just wasn't a good first name for him. He was a beagle - dashound mix so we "Germanized" our last name for him. He was a great little dog. We also had Henry VIII - the eigth puppy, Tootsie the arthritic pup name after my grandmaother that suffered with the same disease. and Spider - a beagle mix that was terrified of insects.

Bella

Zoe Zefo

Ft. Wayne, IN

For one year I researched breeds, wanting to make the right move for both our sakes. The Internet dog sources helped a lot as did regular old books. I work from my home so getting a dog that needed attention was not only alright with me, it was desirable. Whenever I found a breed that sounded "right", I made sure to meet it. Usually I came back home knowing it was "wrong" (for me).

Then one Sunday night I was watching Sex and the City on HBO. Charlotte (unable to have children) was presented with the most beautiful puppy: a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. She named it after the most beautiful woman she knew: "Elizabeth Taylor". When I saw that puppy, I knew. My search was over. Now I just had to find a breeder and in NE Indiana that wasn't so easy. When I was about to cry, an ad appeared in my local newspaper: Cavalier puppies for sale only 2 hours away in Ohio. Phone wires burned and my appointment was set. Off I drove to meet my new little companion.

There were 16(!) puppies from 4 moms. I didn't know if I wanted a female or male, it just "happened" that this little girl and I had an immediate understanding that as soon as she was old enough, she would come to be with me. I told the breeder I would return to get Bella. The name just popped into my head on the spot, I think because bella means beautiful in Spanish and the Elizabeth Taylor puppy was in the back of my mind. I had to wait several weeks but went back just to visit and take pictures. Since the middle of September 2004, Bella has taken her place in my home and in my heart -- big time! I adore her and my lonely days are over! She is just the best!

Piggy

Jessica Bruns

Redwood Falls, MN

When Piggy was born, we thought he'd be albino, because he was all white and you could see his pink skin underneath. It turned out, he was white with long curly hair, a brown nose brown ears and and brown spot around one eye and his tail. He has beautiful hazel eyes and the cuddliest personality ever. He is short and stocky and looks chubby, but because he is Jack Russell, I think it is mostly muscle. He looks kinda like "Babe" in a way. But his name came from the fact that while he was nursing, all's he wanted to do was eat. His siblings would be playing, and he'd still be attached to his mom. His mom would get up and walk away, and he'd still be suckling as she dragged him along. When he got older, he became a treat monger. He will do anything at all for a treat, even if it's getting his toenails cut (which he hates). I think all the time what a perfect name I picked for him, and even though it may sound mean to call someone "Pig" for short, having him look like a baby pig just makes it seem cute. I also call him "oinky" and "my li'l oink-oink"......he is so adorable when he goes nuts every time he sees or smells food!

Kylie

Pessano Family

Pleasanton, CA

It took just one more persuasive phone call from my wife's friend Debi, to break our will to wait.

Debi's dog, Zoe, had a litter of 9 on Thanksgiving Day and all had been adopted but one.

On our way to Debi's house we considered a few names, none of which I can remember now, but when my wife said "Kylie" it immediately seemed the perfect name for a beautiful Chocolate Lab.

Common Aliases:

"Kylie"--so formal. Only used during training.

"Kylie-girl"--a greeting used by the kids.

"Kylie-baby"

"Puddin' Pop"--when she's really tired and all stretched out so I can rub her soft little pink belly I call her my puddin' pop.

"Puppa Skins"--This is her favorite name given by her Daddy (me). When I greet her good morning. I say: "Guh-mohrnin puppa skeeons" It must be pronounced phonetically as I have written above, otherwise she won't know what you're talking about. When I say "well guh-mohrnin puppa skeeons" she gets all crazy wagging her tail while repeatedly sticking out and retracting her tounge as fast as he can to show her enthusiasm. This is usually followed by a round of kisses. Then I take her into the boys room where she jumps on their bed and wakes them up with an earful of licks. The boys try to bury their heads in the covers but they're no match for Puppa Skeeeeeeooooooooons!!!

Licorice

Carolyn Kotecki

Yreka, CA

Licorice is a perfect fit for my brothers family and for mine as well. He is great with all 4 cats and with both my smaller children as well. His tail wags with glee when the kids come to visit. Thank you Cheryl for helping us to find the perfect pet for my brother.

WE LOVE LICORICE!!!!!!

Aries

April

Enid, OK

Me and my boyfriend saw an add in the paper for a 3/4 Australian shepherd and 1/4 German shepherd. We immediately called to set up a time to go see the dog. they told us to come out whenever so we got in he car and headed over. We got there and she was so beautiful. she had white markings and her eyes were blue on the bottom and brown on the top. we immediately fell in love. we talked to them and discovered she was born in march ( as was I , April). which made her and I both Aries. so we named her Aries to take after me although she ended up being a daddy's girl.

Sky

Heather Moose

Wadesbro, NC

She wondered up as and abused man.....we think a guy because she really dislikes men. My mom had decided I could keep her if no one come asking about her....Yay for me no one did! So I had already grown attached to her and been calling her Oynx because Oynx means black and she is black.....but my grandma already had a dog named Oynx! I wanted to name her a color.....as I was thinking about names I looked into her beautiful Sky Blue eyes....I know the perfect name it is Sky Blue Babe!

Oh yeh! By the way we still have Sky she got took to the pound while I was at school but my wonderful mom went and got her for me and she is now officially MINE!

Cooper

Katie

Medford, OR

We chose cooper the harlequin gread dane, we payed the lady and left. The next day I felt so horrible about the condition that at least 60 other dogs were living in, I called the animal control and her operation was shut down immidiately. We Chose the name cooper because it sounded like a strong name.

we are currently looking for a play mate for cooper, so if you know of anyone who has a large breed dog that is in need of some spoiling.please let me know.

If cooper could talk, he would tell you how spoiled he is.

(He still sleeps in bed with us)..and is an inside dog.

Peewee

Dale

Miami, FL

I glanced into one of the cages and saw a very tiny Chihuahua pup. He was shivering, undernourished and crying. I could not let him to to a shelter, so Peewee came home with me. At 4 months, he weighed all of two pounds.

Peewee loved his new home and his sister cat Polka Dot and he thrived. After a year or so, he began having health problems and they continued throughout his life. He did have the best of care and was a little fighter.

In March, 2005, Peewee's life came to an end and needless to say, I was heartbroken.

I created a tribute to him and put it on my website for all to see:

http://www.wtv-zone.com/Dale/Peewee-Tribute.html

A very kind and caring woman who has been showing and breeding Chihuahuas in Pa. for 36 years was so touched by it, that she contacted me via email offered me a chihuahua pup. In June, I flew up to Pa. and picked out the tiniest pup out of a litter of 8. She had already been named Mika(which reminded me of formica), so I changed it a bit to Meka (sounds like Meeka). My stepdad added "Lana" (for Lana Turner, hence Meka Lana. She is the light of my life and a very happy, healthy pup.

She will never replace my love for Peewee, but as the breeder told me, Meka was chosen for you by God and Peewee.

Sammy

Allison

Lucien, OK

My Chihuahua's Suzie and scout were expecting their first baby. For nine weeks I worried and waited for the babies to arrive .. Suzie got so big i thought she would have lots of babies , but after a hard labor I got the most beautiful baby boy named Sammy...he is now 6 weeks old and spoiled rotten .. Suzie and Scout love him as much as I do

Sydney

Sherman, Texas

my parents went and got a purebred dachshund and we were trying to decide what to name her well when we got her home she ran around playing with her doggie ball and my dad said we should name her sydney because her front chest went down so low he said her chest was down under! So we named her after Sydney, Australia

Hunter & Dusti

Jane

Winter Park, FL

Hunter...he was the best dog. A cream colored beagle with some white markings. My brother had his mom, Queen and he let her have two litters of puppies. Hunter was the runt of Queen's 2nd litter and so unusual in his coloring. Again, we struggled for about a month with names for him. Finally, when my brother was visiting one day, and we were calling him Champion because of the "C" like white mark on the back of his head, Kevin said, "That's not a hunting dogs name, he needs a hunting dogs name!" Well, we never intended on him hunting, but I just said, "Okay then, let's call him Hunter". Unfortunately, he was only with us a little over 9 years; he got very sick with Cushings disease last year in July; over 4 days he lost 15 pounds. Oh, I forgot to tell you that Hunter grew up to be quite a big beagle. He was rather tall, probably about 17" high and he weighed 65 pounds, on average. We tried diet food and everything, and he just couldn't lose weight. As for an example of being the best dog, we got a shihtzu and pekingnese mix puppy when Hunter was about 7 years old, I could pull a softened dog chew that he had broken into two pieces out of his mouth and give one piece to the puppy and he didn't care. Some of Hunter's nicknames included Buddy, Stinker and Fat Boy (endearingly, of course). He was the "touch me" dog of our family, always wanting to be touched and loved. Oh, the new puppy, we finally came up with the name Sissy for her, again after about a month and 6 other names. She's a sweetie, but you can't take any chewies from her!

We just got another beagle a little over a week ago. It hasn't been a month yet, so he doesn't have a name. But, he is a cutie!

Annie

Bob Stenstrom

Rochester, MN

We became very interested in Wheaton Terriers. Our first puppy turned out to have a heart defect and needed surgery. Before surgery we named her Molly-an Irish name since the breed is Irish. So at 7 weeks Molly was in surgery and sadly died during the process. We were heartbroken even if Molly was only with us for a week. A month or so latter another Wheaton puppy came into our lives. another Irish name-ANNIE. Annie continues to give her unbounded love to us.

Schatzie

Heather

Due to a sudden case of parvo, we lost the puppy, Jasmine. I am still sad when I think about that beautiful boxer mix puppy dying. We did all we could for her. That puppy was beautiful! We buried her in our animal graveyard. (Previous pets that died from old age and several other small animals are buried there) Today I have my eyes on dog #2. She's a smaller version of Schatzie. She's only 6 months old, and since she's part Australian Shepherd, I'm thinking she'll get big. This part is not for certain yet since I don't actually have her. If I am able to adopt her, her name will change from Daisy to Sorella. Sorella is Italian for sister. She's been spayed and (most importantly) vaccinated already.

Patita

Lois Meza

Glen Morgan, WV

after moving to the state of wv, we decided to adopt a dog from the county shelter. taking my six year old son with me, we went to the shelter after viewing a list of their pets online. we were put in the adoption room with a dog wanted to see if it was child friendly. we decided to go back into the kennels to look again. as we were not sure if the dog would be good with children. after going up and down twice and listening the person there suggesting different dogs, for a reason I can not explain I stopped and sitting in front of me, was a female dog ,that had the saddest eyes I believe I had ever saw. I asked what about this dog. the answer was, oh that dog, she had six pups and no one wants her, her time is up in a day. by then my son had joined me. we asked to take her into the adoption room, we we immediately started to bond with her, my son and I each gave her a "pat" on the head shaking and unsure she laid at our feet not once barking. we knew it was meant for us to have her. so we named her Patita, a Spanish name. she is not a pet but is a part of our family, we are grateful every day that we found her, we also feel very lucky that we chose that day to go.

Cleo

Sheila

Springfield, MO

Having no children, I was very excited about getting a dog and giving it a name. I went to visit our local humane society to pick out a puppy of my very own. What I came away with was a young female dog that already possessed the name Cleo, I was a little disappointed and even considered changing her name, but everything about that day was Karma and changing her name did not "feel" right. I live in a city that has recently put regulations into place in regard to Pitbull and Pitbull mix dogs, that is what Cleo is, a sweet, sloppy, precious little pit/beagle mix that came to me half grown, pre-named, and requiring registration and microchipping per city regulation, and none of that matters because we are a perfect fit.

Cujo

Lois Meza
Beckley, WV

After the passing of our beloved patita,we knew we were,going to open our hearts to another dog.We searched the local shelter,newspapers,then a local weekly ads paper,after several calls,we made arrangements,to meet to see three miniture dashounds(puppies).Once we saw them,it was tough deciding.the runt could not get to close as his brothers kept pushing him back.My brother said sis please take him.so he came home with us! My sons were talking and asked if we could name him cujo.He settled right in our home.Its as if he needed us as much as we needed him.at twelve weeks old he weighs four pounds!! And is enjoying having his food all to himself,he has became a part of our family.