This week I yapped with a sweet liddle pooch, Tessa Yoder. Even though she came from a Pet Shop, she had a really close call, but with a happy ending, Thank Lassie.
Tessa’s an 11-year-old Bishon/Yorkie mix so naturally she’s super cute an liddle-bitty, with curly hair goin’ in lotsa different directions.
She greeted me an my assistant with welcoming wiggles, an came right up for the Wag-and-Sniff. “Mr. BONZO! It’s YOU. I’m SO exCITed to MEET you in the FUR! I’m Tessa Yoder. This is my Mom, Carole. My Auntie Lyn’s in the living room. Com’on IN!” She led the way.
“Thank you, Miss Tessa,” I said, opening my notebook. “I’m eager to hear how you found your Forever Famly.”
“Well, as you know, I’m a Pet Shop girl. When I was a puppy, I was sickly. Cute, but no wags, no kisses, no energy. When CUSS-tummers came in, an my fellow puppies were all wiggles an slurps an squeaks, I’d curl up inna corner of the pen. If somebody did pick me up, I’d just curl up in their lap. I had the personality of a soggy dog biscuit. So the humans plopped me back in the pen and I’d curl up in my corner.
“When I was about 3 months old an weighed only 3 pounds, the Pet Shop people had given up. They even gave me eye-vees (that a stickly thing that’s s’pose to make you more perky), but it didn’t help. So they decided to Put Me To Sleep.”
“Oh, Woof, Tessa!” I exclaimed. (We all know what THAT means.)
“Well, this one day, a lady came in an, for some reason, wanted to see ME. We went into the Meet-Each-Other room an, as usual, I curled up in her lap. Totally boring. Then, as usual, I was put back in my pen and, as usual, I curled up in my corner, same old, same old.
“But THEN, I was Picked Back Up and, alluva sudden, The Same Lady was carryin’ me outta there.
After what I later learned was a Car Ride, we got to her house, where she gently set me down in the living room. She sat on the couch an I decided to explore. I checked ouy EVERYthing. It was uh-MAZ-ing! When I returned to the living room, she was still there. An she was happy! She patted me an told me this was My home now, an I reelized: SHE was my New Mom. This was My House. An I was gonna RULE. Mom took me to the vet an I got some medicine. But, between you an me, Mr. Bonzo, I totally think it was knowing I had a Forever Home anna Mom who loved me that made me all better. Auntie Lyn says me an Mom rescued each other. See, before me, Mom had just lost her other Yorkie, Roxie.”
“I think you’re absolutely right, Miss Tessa! What a great story. So, how’s your life been since then?”
“Pawsome. We just recently downsized. Moved up from Fort Lauderdale. One time, before we moved, Mom was busy an forgot my walk. So I snuck out an took myself for a walk. I mean, it was Walk Time, an I knew the route. But a neighbor called Mom cuz there I was, no leash, no human, just walkin’ down the street. I never understood what all the fuss was.
“I had lotsa frens down there, like Cameron, she’s a dachshund/chuh-waa-waa mixture; an my BFF Lucie, she’s a Basenji. We mostly chased ee-gwah-nuhs. Now I’m makin’ lotsa new frens here. An, of course, there’s my human BFF Auntie Lyn. She’s visitin’ from Up North. She spoils me, mostly with extra DentaStick treats. My teeth look wunnerful, doncha think?”
They did. I told her so.
“But Mom’s my No. 1. I wanna be With Her At All Times. It’s extra important now, cuz she just had heart surgery. I’m allowed to go to Mom’s rehab cuz I’m her Official Support Pooch. An the other humans there really love me. They say I brighten their day. Somehow, Mr. Bonzo, I feel like I’m doing something important, just by going there an hanging out with them. Do you think that’s weird?”
“Not at all, Miss Tessa. We dogs have Special Powers to help humans in lotsa ways. I’ve experienced that myself, with my own Mom. I think it’s Super Cool Dog Biscuits that you recognize that.”
“Thanks, Mr. Bonzo. Anyway, I have a Special Pillow. An Mom says I have Way Too Many Toys. But I disagree. I play with each an evry one, eVENshully. Me an Mom an Auntie Lyn play Hide-an-Seek. They hide, I seek. An I always find ’em. If my meal’s late, I give Mom or Auntie Lyn The Look. You know the one.”
“I sure do.”
“I love sittin’ on the screen porch watchin’ pooch frens go by on their Leash Walks. An my Mom special-makes my food. My favorite dinner is kale, chiggen, carrots, peas an brown rice – my own special stew.”
“Kale?” I thought to myself. “Do you know any cats, perchance?”
“Well, sorta. But not as FRENS. There’s this white cat that sits in our driveway. I stop an do this liddle grrrr, to let him know who’s boss. (It’s not him.) He responds with a casual “whatever.” Then I grrrr again. An that’s about it. I guess you could call us frenemies.
“But my very favorite thing is goin’ to the beach. I LOVE running in the sand, chasing those soap-sudsy waves. Me an those teeny birds chase the waves for hours. Those liddle guys are even faster than me.”
Heading home, I was thinkin’ how Cool Kibbles it is that Miss Tessa understands how much she can help humans, just by being herself. An picturing her chasin’ soapsuds waves with all those liddle birds.
(Kale? Seriously?)
Till next time,
The Bonz