Your Furry Valentine Contest Runner-up 2008

I don’t just have one furry valentine… I have three. My pups are all so different and each has captured my heart in different ways. They all have their own stories, but at the end of the day, we are our own little family.

Sullivan is my incredibly handsome Labrador, and he was my first dog. He’s a true Southern gentleman who, although a little bashful, gives his heart completely to anyone who offers him food! I love the fact that he’ll fetch and swim all day long, but he’ll curl up with me on the sofa for hours at a time as well. He was a single dog in the beginning, and he was painfully shy. I couldn’t take him anywhere or he would tremble in fear… definitely not a typical, confident lab. So I began working with him to give him confidence and help him overcome his fears. Gradually – week by week, month by month, year by year – he has turned into a different dog. Although he still is shy, he is healthy and happy. He can travel with me and have a blast at the beach. We can have houseguests and he’s actually happy to see them! One of the biggest influences on Sully was actually the next little orphan to come into our family…

I actually discovered Oliver on Valentine’s Day a few years ago after he had been dumped at six months of age off a country road. He was dirty, starving and cold, and his big pink ears were badly sunburned. I scooped him up and took him home. I left him on the back deck to go inside to get a towel to dry him off, and by the time I came back out, he had crawled into a big flower pot and gone to sleep. Soon after I took him in, I realized he was deaf. But he is such a little survivor and has learned all his commands with sign language. And because he’s deaf, he’s often more in tune with my body language and how I’m feeling than the other two hearing dogs. I adore this little guy and his wonderfully happy attitude. He also depends a great deal on Sullivan. As soon as they met, it was almost as if Sullivan realized Ollie would need assistance. So Sully never goes anywhere without him. Because Ollie can’t hear, he depends on watching Sully to know when things are going on, and Sully makes sure that he’s always in Ollie’s line of sight. The two brothers are inseparable, and once Ollie had settled in with us, I thought our family was complete. Oh, how I was wrong!

I call Mona Mae my “Drive-through Dog.” I found her late one night as I pulled out of my local fast food drive-through. She was trying desperately to find food. She came home with me, and at the vet the next day, we discovered she was expecting her second litter of puppies at only one year of age. So she settled in with me and had a litter of six beautiful puppies (who have all gone on to wonderful new homes) on the Fourth of July. When I rescued Mona, I fully intended for her to be a temporary rescue and planned to find her another forever home. But during the weeks of helping her raise her puppies, I fell completely in love with this bossy, brilliant and loving little dog. So now, two years later, she runs the household. And I can’t imagine my life without her. She has gone through two advanced obedience training courses with me, and we are currently working on her Pet Therapy Partner certification. She visits nursing homes with me and although she is full of energy and attitude at home, she goes through a complete transformation the moment we walk through a facility’s door. She becomes quiet and gentle and will sit for hours on end allowing her self to be petted, kissed and loved. Everyone who meets her is completely smitten.

Finally, one of the biggest reasons I adore my three furry valentines is that they allow me to continually rescue other pups in need. My house is constantly topsy-turvy with different rescued dogs (and cats) coming in and out. My house is always just a place for them to rest, get some love and care, and then I find them forever homes and send them on their way. But all three of my dogs take this in stride. They always welcome other animals – sharing their toys, their beds and their hearts. Without their kind indulgence, I couldn’t continue my rescue efforts.

They are indeed a motley crew… no serious pedigrees, blue ribbons or fancy titles. But all three are so incredibly special to me, and I am so grateful that each has come into my life.