Reggie an Furbie Ritter are brother-an-sister Basset Hound/Australian Shepherds (sometimes re-furred to as Basstralians). Altho they have the same Momma (Daisy), an Daddy (Bandit), they’re from different litters: Reggie’s 12 an Furgie’s 11. An they TOTALLY look like each other ’cept for Reggie bein’ a liddle bigger than Furbie. Cool Kibbles, right?
An get THIS: They didn’t even know each other as puppers cuz they didn’t grow up together. (So what were the chances they’d ever ackshully meet?)
When me an my assistant knocked, there was a whole buncha Serious Barking. I mean Serious! If we were Bad Guys, we’d been turnin’ around an running down the street.
But soon as a nice lady opened the door, they came right up, still barkin’, but frenly barkin’. An waggin’. In YOU-ni-son!
“Good afternoon! I’m Bonzo an this is my assistant,” I said.
Wag-an-Sniffs ensued.
The smaller of the two was wearin’ a spiffy pink bandana. “We’re SO happy you’re gonna innerview us, even though we’re not sure what that means. I’m Furbie Ritter. (Momma on occasion has called me Miss Furbert Puddles, for reasons I choose NOT to share.) Anyway, THIS is my Big Brother Reggie; our Momma, Beth; an our human big sister Maddie. She’s 17. We also have two human brothers: Grant, 9, an Keaton, 6. We play Stick Throwin’ with them. So, you wanna go PLAY? I’ll show you our toys! Come On!”
“I wish I could, Miss Furbie,” I said. “I’m duh-lighted to meet all of you! But first, I must do the innerview. It’s pretty fun, ackshully. You tell me about your life, what you like to do, an stuff, an I write it all down.”
“Oh! Cool Kibbles! So let’s go sit on the couch!” An off she zipped.
As we got settled in, Reggie, sportin’ a blue bandana, had apparently got a whiff of the duhlishus snack smells emanating from The Satchel, and had happily plopped himself onto my assistant’s lap to assist with snack distribution.
“I’m eager to hear how you found your Furever Famly, and each other,” I said.
“I came first,” Reggie began. “My litter was what’s called an OOPS Litter, cuz it was unexpected.”
“Mine, too!” Furbie piped up.
“That’s correct,” Reggie continued. “Our pooch Mom is Daisy, a Basset Hound, an our Dad is Bandit, an Aussie Shepherd. I was just a bran new fluffball pupper when Momma adopted me in May twenny thirteen. I was an Only Dog at first. Maddie was liddle, too, just 6, an she helped me with lotsa stuff.
“I admit I WAS, well, a Chewer, for a while. Momma says I have a Cast Iron Tummy. I chewed stuff like Legos, Rainbow Looms, crayons, glitter, paper. One time, there was this pot roast on the counter an I, umm, well, cuz we’re built pretty long, I could reach all the way up, an I sorta whooshed it off the counter.”
“Uh-oh,” I said.
“I know, right?” he agreed. “An then there was that time with the quiche. An the haff pizza. Oh, an the cheesecake! (That was YUMMY.) When I was younger an more SPRY, I could push the trash can foot pedal with my paw. So many cool smells! When the pedal finally broke, I moped for days.”
He looked a liddle wistful.
“Probly for the best,” I said.
“That’s true. Momma used to say to me (a lot), ‘It’s a good thing you’re cute!’”
I smiled behind my paw, then turned to Furbie. “So, Miss Furbie, what’s your tail?”
“It was November twenny fourteen, when our Mom was preg-nut with MY litter. There were quite a few of us, so our very kind owner asked H.A.L.O. up in Sebastian about a foster home for her an us, but just while we were drinkin’ Mommy Milk.
“An (here’s the Cool Kibbles part) one of the H.A.L.O. hoomans knew my Future Furever Mom had Reggie and thought she’d maybe like a liddle sis for him. An she DID. An it was THEN that we found out that me an Reggie had the SAME pooch Mom an Dad!
“I was so excited to have my very own liddle SIS-ter. We totally bonded right away. We still wanna be with each all the time!” Reggie said.
“That’s TRUE!” agreed Furbie. “He showed me The Way in my new Furever home. Even though he’s always sayin’ I’m ‘2 fries short of a Happy Meal.’”
I muffled my laugh with my paw, an Reggie said, “She’s just never lost her Puppy-ness! Best liddle sister EVER!”
“Have you been to the beach?” I wondered.
“Well, not inna while,” Reggie replied. “Ackshully, I don’t think Furbie’s EVER been. I think I sorta remember goin’ there one time as a puppy. Momma says I ate the sand.”
“I noticed your colorful bandanas,” I continued. “Do you dress up for holidays?
“NO!” they replied in unison.
“This one Halloween,” Reggie explained, “Momma got me a Spiderman costume, and got a hot dog costume for Furbie. We were, like, NO!!!”
“I do get a mani-pedi onna regular basis,” said Furbie sweetly. “A grrrl’s gotta look her best, doncha think?”
“By all means,” I hastily replied.
Headin’ home, I was thinkin’ about the pretty amazin’ circumstances that brought this brother and sister together, just sorta out of the bloo: one of those coincidences that was Totally Meant To Be.
