Posted for barbijo53 (moved from the contest announcement thread)--- Barbijo53 if you want to repost this under your sign-in name go ahead and I will come back and delete this one!

April 17 of this year, we lost our beloved Cairn Terrier, Burnsie who was 18 ½. We planned to wait about 6 months before getting another dog. The house was too quiet. I asked my husband at bedtime on night about 6 weeks later when we could get another dog. He told me he had planned to talk to me about looking for one that weekend. The next day I was on the internet at petfinder.com looking for adoptions in our area.

I found two dogs that I fell in love with after reading their stories. The one I wanted most was a Chiawawah-Terrier mix. He was not at the location he was scheduled to be at that Saturday morning. We drove out to the other location to locate the second dog, a young Rat Terrier that had been abused all of his first year of life. He was about 13 months old and looked very frightened. I guess the first dog’s absence was the sign we needed to rescue Nibs.

We got chance to get acquainted with him at the pet supply store were adoptions were held. We feel immediately in love with him and in not time we signed the adoption papers, handed over the fee and went on a shopping spree. We had been assured that he was very laid back and quiet. Not so, as soon as his little feet hit the floor in our townhouse, he did the famous Rattie 500.

He had a number of issues and we calmly and patiently dealt with them, and after a few vet visits had him on the needed meds to deal with allergies and separation anxiety (and now car sickness).

Before his anti anxiety medication he demonstrated what separation anxiety in a dog was all about. He learned how to get out of one dog carrier and destroyed another and cut up his tender little neck trying to crawl of the hole he made. On one of his destructive days, he took a book off the book shelf, tossed it aside and then destroyed the book underneath – a hardcover book on Rat Terriers. The book he tossed and the book he left untouched – were on dog training –both were paperback. He has taught us the art of patience and love, more than we ever needed with Burnsie. He has only been with for just over 5 months, but I cannot imagine living without him. We laugh now at all he did, but cry in our hearts for all he has been through. He seems happier now, and senses that things will never be as bad as his first year of life.

Mitzy’s Story

I board my Quarter Horse at my friend’s stable in Yulee, Florida.  On Halloween day of 2004 I went to the stable to ride my horse.  When I got there the cutest little puppy was following my friend, Deb, around.  This pup was black and white, tiny, and absolutely fearless chasing the chickens twice her size.  She was also super friendly, cheerful and moved with a jaunty little trot.

Deb explained that 2 days before she had come across this tiny pup (no older than 7-8 weeks) walking down the road there in Yulee. The dog was covered in fleas, hungry, dehydrated and had worms. She had obviously been on her own for at least a couple of days. In fact, it was surprising that she had survived – besides the risk of being hit by a car around here there are also hawks, owls and alligators that eat small animals.  This little puppy also had healed wounds on her head, ears and one eye was bulging and glazed over.  The vet later confirmed she must have been attacked by a larger animal when only 2-5 weeks old.

Well, Deb got rid of the fleas, fed her and wormed her.  But she didn’t want to keep her because she already had 3 dogs in the house and this one was too tiny to stay outside, especially with the horses around to step on her.  Now, I’ve always had, and been around, large dogs. I thought of small dogs as “yap yap dogs” unless they were Jack Russells.  We had no idea what this pup was but we guessed that she might be a chi-Jack Russell mix.  In any case, I picked her up and looked into her little face…and she gave me this huge kiss…and I fell in love!

After I rode my horse, I was walking towards my car and I saw Deb come walking towards me with little Mitzy at her feet….she said “are you going to take her home?”  I just grinned and scooped the “wee one” up.  She curled up in my lap as I drove home.  As I pulled into the driveway I blew the horn for my husband to come out.  As he looked in the driver’s side window I held up this tiny little person.  I told him she had been found on the road and needed a home…and he said “well, she has one now”!  Now, we already had a whippet and a golden retriever at that time.  The whippet quickly became “mother” to Mitzy…bathing her, curling around her to keep her warm, etc.  But Mitzy, tiny as she was, quickly dominated every animal in the house except the old golden; she left her alone.

Through research we discovered she was a Rat Terrier, the type B or Teddy Roosevelt Rat Terrier.  One morning, just a few days after we got her, she walked into the kitchen and her ears were straight up! We thought that was so funny – we had no idea how rat terrier ears worked!

She slept in our bed from the second night on and still does.  She has a huge personality in a tiny body.  Eventually, the injured eye had to be removed and she has developed glaucoma in her good eye but we treat that with medication. 

I can’t believe someone would throw this little sweetheart out like a piece of trash but apparently they did.  Before I took her home Deb had contacted all the local shelters, put signs up and called around but no one claimed her.   I’m so glad they didn’t because I couldn’t imagine life without Mitzy Pitzy now!  She sleeps curled up against me every night….she’s my little love bug and my rattie with rattitude. 

It was through Mitzy that I found Rat-Terrier.com and learned about ratties; got tons of advice and made special friends.  It was because of Mitzy that we got Mayfly and also Skipper.   It doesn’t matter that someone else may write their story more eloquently or that another story may be more interesting.  What matters is that I get the chance to tell people about Itty Bitty Little Mitzy, my little sprite dog.

You know that old saying “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”?  Well, Mitzy is my treasure and that’s why she’s so special to me.

What Does My Rat Terrier Mean to Me?

She is joy and laugher, a reason to get up when nothing else will stir me.

She is a friend who ‘kisses’ me gently when I am sad.

She is my constant companion, content always to simply ‘be’ with me.

She is my little foot warmer on a cold winter’s night.

She is my protector willing to place her 14 pounds in front of any danger for me.

She is the one, no matter how tired, how trying her day, to greet me with the enthusiasm of a long-lost friend each and every time we are reunited, whether after 15 hours or 15 minutes apart.

She is the clown in the circus that is my life, always bringing happiness to the most gloomy of days.

She is my faithful alarm clock with no snooze button.

She is my great supporter, nothing I do is too silly, too boring, and nothing I do is unforgivable.

She is the delight of my life who tolerates all things with great forbearance so that I may enjoy myself – even if it’s at her ‘expense’.

She is my most trusted confidant; the one who will never tell my secrets or brush aside my fears.

She is the one, who if I by chance lost it all, would live in a box with me and still love me as much as if we were in a mansion.

So given all the things my Daisy is, what else could she mean to me but….

The World.

WOW!  I have a ton of reasons that Ace is so special to me.  I just hope that I have room and time to express it all here

Ok...here it is...

I am a special education teacher for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder which is the TOUGHEST THING I HAVE EVER DONE as many can probably imagine!

Well, I was having an extremely hard time with a particular person that i work closley with and I was EXTRA STRESSED that particular week.  So, basically I decided to get a dog that weekend to be sort of a stress releiver/companion if you will.
I looked and looked and thought and called around and thought some more about what breed I wanted to get and I ALMOST settled for a JR Terrier at a place that was EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE.  I was all set to do the paperwork involved when my cell phone rang and it was a man that I had contacted earlier that weekend and he said that he could meet with me RIGHT THEN and that he had 2 pups left if I was still interested.  Well, the rest is history as far as how I got ACE...I saw him and instantly KNEW he was going to be a long time companion and friend! 
So, a short time went on and Ace IS/still is a great companion!

First of all...This time last year(wow...hard to believe I have had him just over a year), I was having panic attacks and I had to take a couple days off from work and Ace was RIGHT THERE THE ENTIRE TIME!  I have posted a comment on this site before about how hes always in tune with how I am feeling and he knows when I am sad or upset or sick and this was a time when he REALLY KNEW!  he even started whining one night when i was crying and talking to a friend of mine!  Hes good like that!
That was the first instance that told me WITHOUT A SHADDOW OF DOUBT that Ace was going to be loyal to me from then on out!
(Ace and I have been through A LOT together and he and I are lucky we have survived some of this mess)

Secondly, we live in Tennessee and sometimes we have tornados and we have rough weather from time to time as does everyone...
One particular day, we had a Tornado warning and I was home from school and Ace was really really "clingy" that day and it was almost like he knew something was about to happen...
At about 12PM, the weather people had said that anyone who lived on our road and surrounding area needed to take cover IMMEDIATELY...so we did! 
Ace and I were piled up in our bathtub with blankets and pillows all around us and not 10 seconds after the time we got into the tub, a tornado in fact came and hit our house.  We had about 200 pounds of rubble and the neighbors roof come through our little bathroom window and wall.  We were unhurt physically but mentally we were wiped out!
For the next 4-5 hours, Ace was in my arms and acted like he thought I was going to leave him...of course i didnt...
He was sucha  trooper and like I said before...loyal and PROTECTIVE as well.

Lastly, last year on Thanksgiving, we were traveling from my friends house to my family's house for thanksgiving dinner and we were in a pretty bad car wreck that totalled out my car.  He AGAIN was a trooper and was there for me more than any other person or thing in my life!  HES MY LITTLE MAN!

So, my reason that Ace is so special to me is that he is LOYAL and gives me unconditional love...NO MATTER HOW much I get onto him for getting my socks, chewing up a shoe, peeing in the floor when he gets nervous, or stealing my side of the bed when we are asleep.

He has been my BEST FRIEND when I had no other friends(Seemingly). 

HE HAS JUST BEEN THERE MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE OR ANYTHING ELSE IN MY LIFE!!!!!

Phoenix

My husband and I lost our cocker spaniel on November 17 2006 to cancer. He was 11 yrs. old and had been in our family since our son was a year and he was a pup. His passing was devastating to us, and really impacted our 11 yr. old son. During our crying and grieving we vowed we were never going to get another pet due to the heart ache.
Well,...in the next few months we gradually came to realize he was in a better place and it did get a little easier. After talking about it for a couple of months we finally decided to start looking for a new addition. While searching small breeds we came across a picture of a very handsome Rat-Terrier who was with Ratbone Rescue. From the moment we saw his picture I just knew there was something about him, and that he would be with us. Don't ask me how I knew this, it was just such a strong feeling, that I started the process of applying for adoption. We received many letters from his previous owner about his separation anxiety, some behaviour problems and his nervousness. This made us wonder what we might be getting into but persued it anyways. I knew I would have the time to work with him.
After arranging transportation, Phoenix finally came home to us on May 6 2007. When he got in the van with us he curled up on my lap and stared at me as if we knew each other forever! It was so weird
At home we had no problems with any of his previous issues, there was no adjusting, and he blended in right from day 1. We never crated him, he had full run of the house, and has a beautiful temperament.
This was the first time we have ever adopted a rescue (dog), and I had read for 2 months everything I could get my hands on as to what to expect (was a little scary), so I felt I was really prepared. Boy,....the only issue he had.....he wanted to be with us 24/7. With us, that is not an issue, that is what we wanted!
We couldn't believe how well he adjusted etc. I really believe we were meant for each other! There are so many reasons to list as to why we love our Rattie so much, but the main reason is, it just came natural and was meant to be 
This is the picture that was on the site, how could you not fall in love?

Mayfly Freckles

Mayfly is so very special to me because she is the “baby” of the family.  She is the absolute sweetest dog (sweetest animal period!) I’ve ever known.  She wakes up and bounces out of bed in the morning, smiling, ready for the adventure of a new day.  When she’s cold she “asks” me to put her tshirt on her; when her eyes itch she asks me for her antihistamine.  She is one of my two “shadows” and always there for me through the ups and downs of life.

Mayfly is not a rescue dog.  I knew the type of rat terrier I wanted and I sought out a good breeder a few hours from us.  We picked Mayfly out of  her litter via internet because she looked so incredibly sweet.  And she is that sweet; when Mitzy’s eye waters after she gets an eye drop, Mayfly will clean her little face for her.  Mayfly accepted Skipper, our last rescue, first and convinced the others to accept him. 

She’s very playful with any new dog but shy with new people.  But she will put her tiny body between me and any perceived danger.

She’s happy-go-lucky, bouncy, wiggly, snuggly, sweet as maple syrup -  MAYFLY!  And that is why she is so special to me.

TRIXIE: THE BEGINNING

I did not set out with the intention of being an animal rescuer, I just kind of stumbled into it. On April Fool’s day, 1998, a friend’s Rat Terrier had puppies and since I had been planning to get a dog to replace my Scottie, she offered one of the puppies to me. It wasn’t long after bringing this little whirlwind into my home that I realized what a wonderful breed the Rat Terrier is. By the time Scooter was a year old, I was looking to add a second Ratty to my family. My friend offered me a puppy from her upcoming litter, one that would be related to Scooter. I was excited about this pending addition to the family, dreaming of the puppy breath, tiny paws, little licks, big puddles, chewed shoes and wakeful nights. The ten weeks of waiting for my puppy to be available seemed like an eternity.

I’ve always been a dog lover and with my introduction to the Internet in the mid 90's, I found myself often cruising shelter and rescue web sites, looking at dogs that were rescued and dogs in need of rescue. As I wandered through these sites one night, I found the cutest pair of Rat Terriers in a shelter right in my own state. They had been in the shelter for several weeks, having come in together but remained unadopted due to the preference to place them together. Many people wanted one cute, active little dog but it seems no one was interested in taking on two at a time. For a week I returned to the site, looking at the two little Rat girls, hoping someone would have adopted them but they were always there, the smaller with her tongue lolled out, ears back, bouncing toward the photographer. They were in a low-kill shelter and not immediate danger, but I began to worry about them and felt a need to help.

I searched for Rat Terrier rescue groups on the Internet and sent out pleas for one of them to help get the girls out of the shelter. I told them I would adopt one dog but since these were not being placed separately and I didn’t think I could handle two, they needed help. An answer came quickly from Caroline with Ratbone Rescues, a brand new rescue. Unfortunately, she said she was unable to assist with them because there were no foster homes available in Kansas and no one to pull them from the shelter. She suggested I try taking both and if I found it overwhelming, I could contact her again and she would work on arranging transportation for them to a foster home. It had become obvious to me in this process that the adoption of a dog from a shelter was what I needed to do. My friend’s puppies were sure to be cute and lovable but she would not struggle to find them homes, on the other hand, a shelter dog could die without me. With that small bit of urging from Caroline, I decided to contact the shelter and tell them I would take both the Ratties.

With the decision made I got so excited about taking the girls that I sent floor plans, property diagrams, showing all my fenced area and history on my other pets, fearing all the time they might decide not to let me have them. After submitting everything, it seemed an eternity with no word on my application. Finally, when I could no longer stand the wait, I called to see if anyone could tell me where things stood. I reached Margaret, a very kind woman, who I had spoken with several times. She had planned to call me that very day and was happy to tell me I had been approved to adopt Trixie and Ivy. I was elated, anxious to bring the girls home. We agreed I would travel across the state on the upcoming weekend to pick them up.

When work ended Friday, Scooter and I packed up and headed down I-70, on the way to collect our new family members. Scooter always loves a trip and after the initial excitement of being on the road, settled down to nap the miles away. I had planned to spend the weekend with a friend in eastern Kansas, during which time I would go to the shelter to meet the dogs then return the next day to pick them up. We arrived late, settled down after some social time and when I finally rose the next morning there was shopping time, to pick up new leashes and collars, before time for the shelter to open.

On that pleasant, bright day in late September, Scooter and I arrived at the shelter to get acquainted. There was a lot of activity at the shelter, many volunteers were in and out with dogs they had come to exercise and socialize. Two children and their father petted a tail-wagging shepherd mix while their mother signed the final adoption papers. When they finished and left with their new pet, it was my turn. Margaret was there to help me and the first thing she did was to tell me that after reassessing the two dogs this week, the shelter behaviorist had decided it might actually prove beneficial to separate them. They described both dogs as being quite submissive but despite this, Ivy was very domineering over Trixie. Although the two were clearly bonded they thought Trixie might come into her own is she was away from Ivy. Although they would still allow me to take both, Margaret assured me they would have no problem placing the remaining terrier as there had been several people interested in taking one. When I made my choice to take only one, all that was left to decide was who would go home with Scooter and me.

The two little girls were brought out to an exercise pen, about 12 feet square, where they were let down to run. They both set off running the perimeter of the pen, barking furiously at the other dogs out in the play yard. When I knelt and chirped to them, the smaller of the two would come up to me but only for a minute then she would run off again. Occasionally Ivy, the larger of the two would display her alpha status, snarling at Trixie and standing very tall to show she was the boss. Trixie slowed only slightly under these attacks but had clearly learned not to resist. The moment the assault ended, Trixie would be off running again.

I decided to introduce Scooter to the pair to see how they hit it off. Poor Scooter considered this a very bad idea. As soon as she hit the ground in the exercise pen, she was mobbed by the two little Ratties. Although she equaled them in size, Scooter clearly felt over matched. She was frantic in her effort to climb up my leg so these "big, fearsome beasts" could not get her. I picked her up but this was not enough, she proceeded to work at climbing onto my shoulder to get further away from the pack. I concluded that Scooter was not going to be of any help with the decision so I returned her to the car. I returned to the pen and again, Trixie was the one who would respond, albeit briefly, to my efforts to make a connection with them so I decided this was the one I would adopt.

I completed the paperwork, paid the fee and deposit then left the shelter with my new Rat girl. She rode home in a crate so she and Scooter were able to sniff through the door without overwhelming each other. When we arrived at home, Trixie was too busy running from room to room, sniffing every nook and cranny, to pay attention to Scooter. This was Scootie’s opportunity to get close without being noticed so she followed right behind Trixie, room after room, sneaking close enough for a sniff whenever Trixie seemed preoccupied. When finally all the sniffing was done, the two little dogs, worn out from the day’s excitement, collapsed on opposite ends of the couch, eying each other before falling asleep.

In the following days and weeks, Trixie settled in, got acquainted with Scooter and the two of them became great play pals. This was no doubt a great relief to Oscar, the ten year old Doxie who had grown tired of Scooter’s attempts to coax him into romps. Trixie proved to be far from submissive. She quickly assumed the role of sassy, bossy alpha dog, sometimes just a plain bully. She didn’t take readily to crate training, obviously unhappy about containment. When locked in, she showed what remarkable lungs she had, bursting forth with prolonged shrieks which sounded much like air pushing through the stretched neck of a balloon but in time she gave up this howling, learned good doggy behavior and became a true part of the family. She is now my little "foo foo princess" with the ballerina legs and the floozie sashay.

As Trixie settled into the household, I kept thinking about the Rat Terriers out there with no home to call their own, no owner to appreciate their very special qualities. Shortly after bringing Trixie home, I contacted Caroline at Ratbone Rescues again and asked what was involved in being a rescue volunteer. She quickly sent me a response, explaining the process of applying to be a foster home for Ratbone and invited me to submit an application. I’m pleased to say that my application was approved and I was welcomed into the world of pet rescue, an outcome which has been very rewarding for me.

Trixie is almost nine years old now, she is still sassy and likes to run the show but she has also become a cuddler. Her latest habit is to get on my lap, lay her head over sideways with her cheek against my chest and roll her eyes up at me waiting to be petted. Of course there is no way to resist that look. Trixie is my "rescue angel", she brought me to rescue and as a result there are eight years worth of Rat Terriers who got another chance at life.

Casey Otis Motown Ruffin
I grew up in a small town where my mom was always working and I was always working. I didn't have many friends growing up, I didn't get into trouble like most of the kids I knew, and I spent most of my time working and saving money to help my mom out. My mom always felt bad because we didn't have time for a dog and I always wanted one.
Well I moved to Albuquerque in the fall of 04, a year after i graduated high school. My room mate, and dear friend since second grade, Jason,  had just been killed in a car accidient with his girlfriend. I was pritty upset, and needed a change. I had friends who lived in New Mexico and literly packed everything i needed into my car and fallowed them home one night. They had all kinds of doggies and horses. I moved into my own place after staying with them for a while. It was an apratment complex that was bigger than i was used to, scary neighbors and weird guys all over the place. Not to mention i was told i lived in the middle of the "war zone". I was alone, and scared, and once again had no friends. I was determined to not be alone.
The next whole week i went to every pet shop and rescue i could find seeking a friend. I was so upset, and needed a friend. Then the last pet store i went to way out in the hills of Rio Rancho I found him. I walked into this pet shop with all these puppies and saw "somebody" asleep. No bigger than my hand. I told the owner, " He needs to come snuggle with me for a minute". I fell in love. I can still smell his puppy smell if i close my eyes. So Tiny he was. I put half the money down (being a broke college kid) and the next week i came in and took him home!!! I remember that we didn't have a bed in our appartment yet, so Casey and I slept together on our new livingroom floor in a bundle of blankies. He has been my best friend ever since. When i decided to move back to Nor Cal we piled everything in my car again and headed back to cali. Well when  we go to Sacramento it was late so we crashed at a friends house. When we woke up in the morning my car had been stolen with everything gone. my friend asked me why i wasn't so upset, and i said " it's just stuff. If Casey had been in the car, then, then i would be upset". Casey was THE ONLY thing i had. And he's been with me ever since.
I remember having to learn to share my stuff with him, (my bed, my blanky, my dinner). I remember when he first saw snow( it was way past his head, and he got stuck, mommy had to rescue him). I even remember the first time he met a cow. I remember when he first met Thom. And when Casey decided Thom was aloud to sit next to me. Now that was funny. He is just like my kid. I have actually turned down jobs because i wouln't be able to live there with Casey. He brightens my day, be makes me smile, and I don't know what my life would be like without him. He is my best friend. Even if he does still hog the bed.

The best day of our lives was the day we got our very first rat terrier that we called Sassie. We named her Sassie because while we were visiting her when she was only 2 weeks old as she lay on the floor in front of us my husband taped he foot on the floor and she barked and we all laughed out loud and commented on how she was a sassy little thing. Well from that day forward she got her name Sassie because she just seemed to display this "sassy" attitude. That is what made us fall in love with her. So the name Sassie it was going forward. And as time went on she definitely lived up to her name.

She was the best at every thing, the best ball player, the best rat/rabbit catcher, she could chase more cats up a tree in record time then we had ever seen before. Best of all she could understand English as well as any human could. We started spelling things out when we did not want her to know what we were saying. But before long she caught on to that and started understanding what we were spelling out. It just did not get any better than that. She was everything you could ever want in a dog, a best friend or companion. She loved you, played with you and protected you.

She was 15 years old and we had thus far had a wonderful life with her. Things were perfect until the unexpected happened. It was the night before Easter at exactly 10:32pm when we heard the sounds of terror and saw the sight of horror. A neighbors husky got loose and was running free within the subdivision. We had just finished cleaning up after a nice evening of having a cook out. So we were in and out just finishing things up.

The barking started as it would normally do when Sassie was outside to take care of business and something out of the ordinary would happen. Ok so nothing unusual, she is barking. She will do her thing and come inside as normal. As we walked back outside to give things a look over the barking was to the point that it warranted a visit to see what was the big deal. As we walked through the carport and found her about 3 feet away from the entrance, the hair on her back was standing up so high that it really caught me as wow look at her. Then at a glance as I looked up I saw something but was not sure what it was at first. By the time I figured it out it was too late. She had my Sassie in her mouth as she shook her from side to side several times and just tossed her like a rage doll. Then repeatedly would grab her again and shake her left to right, left to right, left to right as she would then let go and toss her again. My Sassie was always a tough dog but this time she would just lay still on the ground as this dog would repeat this process.

We screamed, yelled, slapped and pushed this husky dog but she did not react to us. At the same time the dogs owner was running down the road screaming at her dog. Once she got there she grabbed a hold of her and brought her down to the ground and held her until her son drove up in her car which they pushed her into. Everyone was just in shock as to what had just happened in a matter of 1 minute. This "one' minute changed out lives forever.

Sassie was badly injured with puncture wounds to the back and the stomach. She was bleeding pretty bad in the stomach area. Between the owner and myself we had enough meds to ride out the weekend, well at least we thought we could make it through Easter and get her into the vet first thing the following Monday morning. I medicated her 24/7 and I knew she was in pain because she never bit me before but she was sure biting me while I was trying to help her. I felt so bad. By Easter morning she was having a hard time walking around. She was very soar and I am sure the injuries did not help at all. I was trying to keep her in her crate but did have to let her go potty and check her out. It was not very good.

By Monday morning, the morning of her vet visit she was near death. She would take three steps and fall to the ground. I could get her to take only two sips of water and by this time she was no longer eating. Once I got her to the vet they just took her in and said they would call me. Longest wait of my life.

I get a call the next morning and they update me on her condition by first saying that she is not doing well at all and her chances of surviving are not good. But we will do everything possible to help her. I was very upset because I could not help her at home nor could I get her help any sooner. I beat myself up over this for a long time. I felt my heart break in two.

From this point on, the vet called me on a daily basis to update me on Sassie's condition. By the third day we got our hopes up because it looked like she was going to make it based on the report from the vet. We were all excited. But by the next morning I received "the" call. Things had taken a turn for the worse and I was informed that I needed to come down and say my good byes as soon as possible. Sassie's organs were shutting down and at this point there was no hope. It was time to put her down.

When I got there they put me in this small dark room and brought Sassie in. She was wrapped tight in bandage around her whole body to keep her lungs from filling up with fluid. There were tubes coming from her lungs for drainage. She was just lifeless compared to the energetic puppy that we have always known her to be. She looked up at me with the saddest puppy face and I just started crying. No she was not a puppy so to speak, she was an adult dog but she was no more than a puppy at this point because now we were at the end. I was all alone just her and I and you could just see it in her eyes that she was saying mommy make it better and take me home. She had not been home or seen me for several days. She had been under going some serious tests and observations and visiting were very limited under the current situations.

We spent much time alone in that room just her and I. I cried most of the time and she was looking like she was feeling bad for doing something wrong and it was making me feel even worse so I would cry more. I did not know what to do or how to fix something that could not be fixed. All I knew is that minutes after I left her she was going to be put to sleep and I would never see her again. This was it, the end and I could not fix it.

Well I eventually had to say good-bye. I left and cried all the way home and just never got over it. I refused to have another dog ever. As far as I was concerned I would never get another dog period. I was making sure I would never experience this again. My Sassie would never be replaced!!!! She was my first love!!!

I have seen dogs/puppies along the way and never thought much about them. Actually when I did see them I was reminded of my Sassie and wanted to talk about her. Two and a half years later I am thinking "maybe". Well just for kicks I was looking through the shelters and just browsing, not really shopping but just looking because I was still convinced that I was not ready. During one of my searches I happen to stumble on this breeders site. I looked through her pictures of puppies she currently had and when I saw "the one" my heart melted. I have seen puppies and adult dogs over the past 2.5 years and never felt the need to have one. I just wanted my Sassie back. But when I saw this one, my first reaction was I have to have HER!!!! Within minutes I picked up the phone and called the breeder and informed her of that very fact. She is the "one", I have to have her.

Next thing I know, I am getting a new rat terrier!! It had been 2.5 years before any dog had captured my heart the way my Sassie had it for so long. This puppy is now called Molly and she has captured my heart the way my Sassie had my heart.

So long story short, my Molly is so special to me because she showed me that I "can" love another rattie.

Why my Rattie is so Special to Me….

Let me first pretext this with the irony of me typing this. I never wanted a Rattie, I was looking for a Jack Russell when fate led me to Miss Alice.

I was at work fooling around on the internet (can’t ya tell!) and went on petfinder under Jack Russell females- now we had been kicking around getting Fred a girlfriend but had not decided if the time was right or not for us- but up pops this little face that looks just like my Fred. I started to cry thinking about my Fred before we got him in rescue and decided to call and get more information on “Jackie”.  I called the number and started asking questions and not getting one answer. The kennel couldn’t even tell me if she was spayed or not. I asked them if they could hold her for me til the weekend and I was told chances were she would not be there by the weekend as most dogs only last one week and she had already been there 5 days (this was a Tuesday). I asked if they were a kill shelter and they told me yes. I asked if they could hold her 24 hours I was on my way and they told me no. I didn’t go to work the next day but instead went and got her the hell out of there. From the minute I got her I was in love with her. She and I had a nice 4 hour car ride home (yeah 8 hours all together that day) and I told her the whole way home about the new life she was going to have and that her name was Alice. I also fed her McDonalds cause she needed some good fatty food and love!!

We got home and I put her in the backyard, let Fred outside and after a few minutes of butt sniffing and love was in the air. Alice brought her own flare to the house. She and Fred are so opposite that we get the best of everything thanks to her. We had her spay and she had some other issues but now she is putting on weight and healthy as can be. She is pure entertainment. From the minute we wake up she bounds out of her nice warm bed, that would be OUR bed that she thinks is hers, goes outside and does her business, then comes back in, checks on her new family and settles next to Fred. They play some warped dog version of tag in the back yard, she needs to eat all her bones on the couch, she is pure energy and has so much personality packed into a 9 lb body.  I look at her and think how cruel can our world be that someone mistreated this little girl. Then she lays on my lap throws her head back, gives me a lick that says thank you, gets a bone, finds Fred and settles in. She made our family complete. I can’t put into words why she is so special to me because the emotion is to overwhelming.

I think the main reason is because she is a survivor. Whatever hand life dealt her prior to us she endured and despite it all she still emanates so much love and loyalty. I wish someday’s I was more like Alice.