Here I am with my granddoggie, Lucy. The title of this post is a nickname I made up for her but I also call her Lulu, Teeny Tiny, Babbaloo, L'il Minipini.....whatever ridiculous thing pops into my head at the time! Lucy is another puppy mill mom. My daughter found her through a mini pin rescue in Syracuse, NY. I think Lucy is more chihuahua than mini pin but, like all members of the tiny breeds, she has the heart of a lion! That's what got her through some very tough times. Lucy's ears are all torn up and she has a light scar on her face......clearly life was not good to her when she was younger.Annie had always wanted a mini pin of her own so started looking for breeders, thinking she would get a puppy. I begged her to go the rescue route.....surely there were mini pins out there desperately seeking a loving home! And that's how she found Lucy.
Lucy arrived shortly before Christmas in 2007. She was scared but hopeful, skinny, shy, and very unsure of herself. As soon as they arrived home, Annie called me to come and meet Lucy. Lucy? I was surprised because Annie had driven out to Syracuse to get a dog named "Molly" but Lucy, you see, had other plans! SHE chose Annie!
When I got to the house, Lucy was curled up in the recliner in the livingroom, watching everything, shaking with nerves, but not at all aggressive. She seemed interested in the new humans in her life. I sat down on the floor across from the chair and leaned back against the sofa. I talked mentally to Lucy, welcoming her to our family, and telling her how much she was going to be loved and pampered. She very slowly got down from the recliner and dropped to her belly. She literally "commando crawled" over to me and put one paw tentatively on my leg. I smiled. She was hesitant but after a few seconds she jumped up into my lap, curled up, sighed, and went to sleep. Annie walked into the room, smiled and said, "Listen, as long as she's OK there, do you mind if I run to the pet store for a few more things?" Heck, no! And so I sat.....and sat.......and sat.........first my butt went numb and then I lost all feeling in my legs!! ha ha ha I sat on that hardwood floor for over TWO HOURS while Lucy snoozed away..........
Lucy's adjustment to life at Annie's house didn't go smoothly at all! She suffered from severe separation anxiety, causing her to literally eat her way out of the new nylon crate Annie bought specially for her when Annie went to work. I loaned Annie my big, metal crate, saying, "She won't eat her way out of that!" No, she didn't, but she managed to slice open the top of her nose and pull out 4 teeth as she desperately tried to escape during the day. Annie called me in tears to say she'd made an appointment with the vet to have Lucy checked out and was afraid they'd tell her she had to return the dog because she was a "bad owner." I assured her that that would not happen. I was sure Lucy would be OK and even had a plan............but we went to the vet anyway. She assured me that Lucy's nose laceration was superficial and that she could eat just fine without those 4 teeth and would l like some brochures about local doggie day care? I told her, "No thanks," which produced a look of consternation. She said, "But......." I smiled and said, "There's no need for that. Lucy is going to come to my house every day from now on." And that's how Granny's Doggie Day Care came to be. But I only have one client! LOL
There's more to Lucy's story. She's an amazing little spirit and I can't wait to share more about my Lulatulababbalula!
A house is not a home until it has a dog.
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