Hi, Pet Buddies! My interviewee this week almost got named Sergeant Pepper! I KNOW! But I’ll start at the beginning. Penny Lane Hegener is a little bitty thing, a mix – looks mostly Yorkie, I thought. She has those totally cute, big triangle ears. And she’s 100 percent GirlyGirl.
I guess she heard us drive up, ‘cuz I could hear her barking as soon as we got out. Her Mom, Denise, opened the door a crack, scooped her up, then let us in and set her back down. After a wag-and-sniff that was more of a twirl-and-sniff, we got settled in the living room.
Right away, Penny Lane grabbed a heart-shaped stuffed toy, and started chewing it like crazy. It was a squeaker: ”Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!”
“Um,” I said, raising my voice over the squeaks. “I’m pleased to meet you! May I call you Penny?”
She smiled and nodded her head, then petooied the squeaky heart out onto the couch. “Oh, sorry! I love squeaky chew toys. The louder the better! ‘Specially when I’m a little nervous. All my toys squeak. Now, can I offer you anything? A MeatyTreat? A Green Bean?“
“No, thank you,” I replied.
“This is my Mommy. It’s just us two. I protect her! If I don’t know ‘em, they better not shake hands or hug her or they’ll have to answer to ME!”
Even though I figured she could comfortably fit into a big salad bowl, I wasn’t going to argue.
“So tell me your story, Miss Penny,” I suggested.
“My Mommy found me online at Florida Little Dog Rescue. They have pictures and everything. Mommy and her human daughter and friend picked me up in Orlando. It’ll be a year on June 13. I was a stray. The Rescue humans found me under a car late one night. I was so scared I nipped the man who was trying to pull me out. So for 10 days I had to be by myself so they could watch me and be sure I wouldn’t go all Bonkers on them. I felt bad about it, but he was a stranger, y’know?”
“I totally understand,” I told her.
“Anyway, I got all my shots and that no-puppies operation. And a CHIP so if I get lost, I can get found again. It didn’t even hurt. And y’know what? Mommy had my DNA tested to see what sort of mix I am.“
“Wow! That is Seriously Cool Dog Biscuits!” I said.
“So, turns out I’m part Cairn Terrier, part Poodle and part Yorkie.”
“Well, you sure got the best parts of all three,” I said, and she cocked her head to the side in a very charming way.
“Mommy wanted a Beatle name for me ‘cuz she REALLY likes Beatles – not the bugs, tho. They’re some guys who used to sing, she says. She thought maybe Eleanor Rigby, or Penny Lane, or maybe even Sergeant Pepper. I mean, REALLY? So Mommy let her human granddaughter pick and, Thank Lassie, she picked my favorite.”
Penny Lane did suit her. She had a creamy gold coat, short on top and sides, long, silky waves on her legs, tail and face.
“It wasn’t even an hour after I first arrived,” she continued, “and the dog beauty parlor lady came. I was a mess, but she made me all pretty.” She did a little twirl. “And see my special collar? Mom decorated it with colored buttons. It’s one-of-a-kind. I also have lots of soft beds, one in every room. All pink. And a pink blanket and a pink crate, my favorite place to hang out.” She jumped down and zipped into the kitchen and got into her crate. It was pink, all right. “See!” she said, peeping out.
“One time, when I first arrived, me and Mommy were driving to the store. It started to rain so she turned this little switch. Well, all of a sudden these scary, long, black arms started slamming back and forth, attacking the front window. I knew they were trying to break in and GRAB us, and I had to save me and Mommy, so I started barking as loud as I could and leaping all over the car. That made Mommy really frazzled. Well, later on, I learned about Wipers, and that they weren’t actually monsters. It took some time, though, and I still watch them carefully just to be on the safe side.
“Now, I have my own pink car crate. I ride with Mommy to her massage, and I jump on top of her and get a little massage, too. I also help her deliver Meals on Wheels. Sometimes I get to go in and visit the people who get the Meals. It’s really important work.”
“Yes it is,” I agreed. “Whaddya do for fun?”
“We go for walks twice a day. And we go to the Dogs for Life playground. That’s where me and my BFF Moxie play. She’s a rescue, too. And Lola. Lola’s training to be a Service Dog. She has this cute little ponytail topknot. I want one just like hers. Doncha think I’d look good in one?”
“Absolutely!” I told her.
“When Mom swims in our pool, I relax in my chaise. I’m learning to swim ‘cuz Mommy says I have to, but I don’t care much for it. When it gets too hot, I go recline under the porch fan. And when Mommy takes a shower and gets all dressed up, I go right into my crate. I get all snuggly with my squeaky frog, monkey and snowball and we all watch Nickelodeon on TV while she’s away.”
Too soon, it was time to leave. Heading home, I was wondering whether the Nickelodeon channel was available on our TV. It couldn’t hurt to ask, right?