Be Grateful (Day 5)

Each year 6-8 million dogs and cats are sheltered. Tragically, about half of them are not adopted and are subsequently euthanized.

When I went to the pound to find my own furry beast I picked out an adorable little 4 month old Pit Bull mix. They told me I'd have to leave her over the weekend to get spayed, but come Monday afternoon she'd be all mine. After an extraordinarily long weekend full of puppy preparations, I go to pick up my little bundle of joy. As I'm paying for her the woman says "Oh, yours is the 2 year old, right?".

"Excuse me? No, I think you've got that wrong", I assure her. She shows me a picture to confirm the dog she is referring to is in fact the same one I am here to adopt. "You better go back to the clinic".

I do as I am told and am informed that after further investigation my puppy is in fact a full grown dog (it turns out she was actually only a little over 1). "Do you still want her?"

"Um, of course, why wouldn't I?"

"Most people would say no."

"What would happen then?"

"Ummmmm..." I well up, take the leash and walk out the door.

Today I am grateful for that little malnourished, fake puppy, Hendrix Lilah Pooperstein Pertzsch.

Most people say, "Oh, good for you, you rescued that poor little dog". But the truth of the matter is that although I might have rescued her but she's the one that changed my life. Suddenly I have to think about something other than myself. I have to put something else first. Something that depended on me not only to feed it and take care of it, but to love it, unconditionally.

Now every day when I come home there is this happy ball of fur wagging her tail uncontrollably. If I'm real quiet as I turn the key in the lock I can avoid waking her up and catch a glimpse of the wrinkle face. If you have not had the pleasure of seeing this face, it will melt your heart. Accompanied with her booty dance it is unstoppable and sure to be a YouTube hit should I ever get it on film.

Bottom line, she's the raddest dog I know. People stop me on the street to tell me how adorable she is. I have a list at least 5 deep of people who have asked if they can have her if I ever need to give her away (including our vet in Tempe). She has won over many a non-dog person with her beauty and charm. She loves me more than anyone else (except maybe my mom) and for that she will be my co-pilot for life.

The Love of My Life

I'll admit it, I'm a sucker for my dog. She's 100% spoiled and I do genuinely treat her like she is my child. I can't help it she's amazing. Knowing this has lead me to think that if I could find a man as awesome as Hendrix I might not be quite so angry. Well, I'd probably still be a little angry, but I might be willing to actually go on a date or at least give the guy my number. You laugh, but let me tell you about how rockin my dog is.

She has a ridiculous amount of personality. I'm sure others have said this about their dogs, but they are lying. Hendrix has them all beat! She's just really freaking funny. And she dances! Naturally it's a booty dance that involves walking around in a circle. All I have to do is shake my butt at her and she goes crazy. Don't worry, I have plans to video tape it and make it a You Tube hit. And don't even get my started on the wrinkle face (the vet says she's smiling)...you just have to see it to believe it.

She's loyal. Ignorant people are constantly taking smack about pit bulls but what they don't realize is that they are one of the most loyal breeds around. I adopted her from the pound where I was told she was a stray. Naturally, I was worried that she would be a runner, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. She does sometimes get curious and walk a little further out of the yard than I'd like, but she's never once tried to run away. One morning on our walk she was being a bit of a pill and got out of her collar. I freaked! But the brilliant dog that she is, she ran back to the yard and waited for me. She's knows who loves her, so why would she want to run away?

She's kind. Ok, this might be a bit of an exaggeration, but stay with me here. She has no problems with sharing her food, water or toys with other dogs. If you're having a rough day she gives you a hug. Well, maybe more you give her a hug, but she hugs back. I swear.

She's an amazing cuddler. I swore before I got a dog that I was not going to let it sleep with me. Beds are for people, blah, blah, blah. Then when I found out that my pit bull mix puppy was not actually a puppy (she was at least a year old when I adpoted her) and was full grown that all went out the window. The only way to accurate way to describe her is snuggle bug. I'm a side sleeper so most nights she girls herself in next to me, but when she's extremely tired there are time when she will sleep on top of me. I know it sounds ridiculous, but she's so warm that it's like a blanket (if you know me well you know I sleep with a lot of covers, even in the summer). And when I wake up in the morning she's all sleepy and warm, it's adorable. Ok, I'll stop before anyone decides it's time to commit me.

She's great with kids. I think all new dog owners, especially of pound dogs, are a little nervous the first time their dog comes into contact with a kid. You just never know how they are going to react, but Hendrix loves them. If someone is walking with a stroller she has to peer in as we're walking past. When we go for walks in the morning and see the kids on their way to school she gets so excited she pees (Sadly, once on a kid's book bag, oops).

She's so stinkin cute it hurts. She is undeniably a really cute dog. There really is no need to say more.

She likes to do the same things as me. Granted she doesn't really get a say in the matter, but she likes to hike and be outside. She also enjoys a good nap and having a lie in. Plus, she likes the same TV shows as me (she spends her days watching TLC and BBC America). What more could a girl ask for?

Does this sound like anyone you know? Probably not, so don't try to set me up with anyone unless he meets all of the above criteria.