This week I met three pooch besties: Peanut Bush, a Chuh-waa-waa, about 3; Sasha Bray, almost 14, a blue merle Border Collie with a great smile; an Pepper T, the youngest an the only boy, a bouncy, fluffy ShihTzu/Yorkie.
Following Wag-an-Sniffs, we settled on their nice grass, ’cept Miss Peanut, who sat on her Mom’s lap looking like a princess, in a pink halter anna flower.
“We’re so pleased you could get us on your SKED-jull, Mr. Bonzo,” she said. “This is my Mommo, Kathy; That is Sasha, an that fluffy wiggle over there is Pepper.”
“Delighted to meet you all,” I said. “So, who’s first?”
“Me, me, me, I wanna go first!” said Pepper, still in bounce mode. “Can I? Puh-leeze?”
“Go for it, Peps!” said Sasha.
“Do try to sit still so Mr. Bonzo can understand you,” advised Peanut.
Pepper downshifted from bouncin’ to wigglin’. “Hi, Mr. Bonzo, this is my Mommy, Nila. I like to be with her At All Times. ’Juh know why Mommy named me Pepper?
I opened my mouth but Pepper was full steam ahead.
“Cuz my coat’s salt-an-pepper color. See?” He wiggled in a liddle circle. “’Cept Salt’d be a silly name, doncha think? So it’s Pepper! An guess what’re my favrite things in the Entire World! STICKS! Sticks are the BEST! When I‘m not FINDIN’ sticks, I’m CHEWIN’ sticks! One time, I was searching for sticks inna mulch pile and found a glob of icing with SPRINKLES! I went back for weeks but there wasn’t ever anymore. Do you want me to find a nice stick for you?”
“That’s so-o kind of you, Pepper! Perhaps later.”
“An guess what, Mr. Bonzo,” Pepper continued. “I love playin’ with my FRENS. I have lotsa frens. Like ChiChi, she’s always given’ me KISSES! An Max. We USTA run around together but now he’s More Serious an doesn’t like puppyin’ around much anymore. My fren Kipper gave me a new ball once. Wasn’t that So Nice? An guess what? I don’t shed! An guess what else? I like playing by the river, ’cept, when it’s windy, an the river makes this scary, whooshy noise. An, guess wha …”
“Whoa there, Pepper,” Peanut innerrupted. “Take a breath. I buh-leeve it’s my turn.” I turned to a new page.
“I was rescued from Dire Straights, just in the nick of time. Thank Lassie, some kind humans found me lyin’ inna heap on the side of the road in a faraway place called Polk County. I’d been hit by a car. I didn’t know how long I’d been there. I was dazed.”
“I gasped. “OH, Miss Peanut!”
“They gently scooped me up an took me to the nearest animal rescue, where I got The Best Care. When I was All Better an ready to find a Furever Famly, they put my pickshur on the Innernet, and that’s how Mommo found me. At first, I was terrified of everything! But, Mommo was PAY-shunt an kind, an I soon ree-lized that humans can be NICE! An FUN! I’ve even learned some dance moves.” She jumped down and executed several lovely twirls. “So now I’m what Mommo calls a SO-shull BUDDER-fly,” she said breathlessly, hopping back onto her Mom’s lap.
“We have a roo-teen. I sleep with her, of course. An I don’t get outta bed till I get my morning Belly Rub. When I hafta Do My Duty, I alert Mommo with lots of slurpy-yet-delicate kisses. I always try to be a good grrrl. An now, it’s our other So-shull Budderfly’s turn.”
“Hey, there, Mr. Bonzo,” Miss Sasha said, flashing her big smile. “This Getting’ innerviewed for the PAY-purr is so-o Crispy Biscuits! So, this is my Mom, Shawnee. My Besty usta be Sassy, she was a chu-waa-waa mixture, but she hadda go to Dog Heaven. I still miss her, but I’m lucky to have these two uh-MEE-goes.
“I’m a rescue, too. My Furever Mom found me at the Humane Society in Palm City, back in 2016. I was around 8. They put my pick-shur onna poster. It said I was Sweet, Affeck-shun-nut, an Bubbly. An it also said, in BIG LETTERS: ‘ADOPT ME!’ So Mom did. I have an important job, too. Didja notice my Cool Kibbles Collar?”
I‘d noticed it was red with the word DOG on it. Looking closer, I saw it ach-shully said “Support Dog.”
“I’m always there for my Mom,” Sasha continued. “Cuzza bein’ a border collie, I’m ’spose to have herdin’ in-stinks. Mom took me to a herdin’ class one time, onna farm, an that’s when I discovered, I LOVE SHEEP. Not herdin’ ’em, just hangin’ out with ’em an givin’ ’em kisses on the nose. SHEEP Rock!”
Headin’ home, I was thinkin’ about the totally different paths that had led Peanut, Pepper an Sasha to their forever homes. And each other. Three tails with one happy ending.
Till next time,