They Picked Me

Lots of people are coming to Hope’s house to see the cute puppies who are to be rescued. I didn’t know I needed to be rescued. Besides me, there are five other puppies all cuddling and playing in the penned in area. Hope and Gina, the pet adoption agency ladies, want to find us all good homes.

The other humans are a boy, two ladies and a man. You can tell all this by size, how high their voice is, and what they smell like. The ladies smell a little better. They hold several of us. The one who is real soft picks me up and keeps cuddling me against her neck.

Gina nods as the young boy is petting me. “This is exactly the kind of All-American dog we’ve been looking for and we have a fenced yard.”

I’m getting tired and glad to be put back in the pen with the other puppies to just snuggle in our soft bed. Little did I know it would be my last night with them.

Today I was adopted. My name is Luna, that’s the Spanish and Italian word for moon. It’s National Puppy Adoption Day; a perfect day for me, and my brothers and sisters in the litter, to find new homes. I’m going by myself in the car!

Who knew it was going to be so scary? Ok, I admit it. I’m in a crate and I make a mess, I poop. Before, when we went in the car, all of us were together so it wasn’t so bad, but this is something else. What an entrance. Nobody likes the smell of poop, so they find a wet rag and clean me up.

I realize it’s the boy and the others from last night. His name is Nicolas and the big lady is Grandma. They hug me a lot and say how cute I am.

Well, they are right about that.

I’m too tired to try to figure the whole thing out and don’t even care. They put a big fluffy pillow on the floor. The pillow reminds me of my mom, she’s a Chihuahua. They say my Dad is a husky.

We might as well get this out of the way. It’s a story I think you probably should know.

My mom, sorry to say, but it’s the truth, was a homeless dog on the streets of Hollywood, California. Have you ever watched TV or been to the movies?  Sure you have, so you know the place I’m talking about. Mom had a boyfriend, a beagle. He may have been a good hunter, had a fun personality, and Hollywood good looks. But he wasn’t the most loyal or dependable kind of guy.

By the time mom realized she was going to have puppies, Pop was long gone. Even though mom was little, she was feisty. Still, she needed someone to have her back. Along comes Husky, a caretaker type.

Husky and Mom hung out together for a few weeks. When it was close to the time we’d be born, someone took pity on them and brought them to Hope’s house.

But you can see I don’t look like a husky dog.

I’m thinking about this whole story. I’ve heard it told to all the people who came to see if they wanted to adopt us. But now I try to relax and feel comfortable in this new house. Memories of my mom, my brothers and sisters will stay with me for a long time even though they may not really be here. We were a pack, pals, a family.

Mom stayed with us for a few weeks after we were born. When all six puppies had their sharp teeth come in, Gina thought Mom needed a break from feeding us and she took Mom to her house. From then on, we had to drink water from a bowl and eat some crunchy brown food. I’ve had to adjust to change before, even though I’m still pretty little. You gotta just keep going, move on and deal with it. Which is where I find myself now; another change, new place, new people, no other puppies and no Hope or Gina.

Then it hits me, I really have to pee. I wake up, move around, whimper, tap my feet on the floor, bark, and howl like only a beagle can howl. This gets their attention. Everybody scrambles around.

They put a red collar around my neck earlier and now attach a red leash, then lead me out to the front yard. I squat and pee. The people pet me and cheer. “What a good girl Luna is.” 

Thus, begins my training of the household that adopts me.

Diane Dean is a native Michigander, now living in Atlanta. Her careers were many and varied, but all involved educating others, problem-solving, and communication. She is a horse, dog and cat lover, not so much lizards and other reptiles. Her love of books is lifelong, so it made sense to write a book.

To learn more about Luna, go to https://hallardpress.com/luna-book-page/

To contact Diane, email her at oldbooksaver@yahoo.com