Meet My Boy...

This is the photo I saw on my Facebook page when I started my day. It was April 4 2009, a Saturday. My first thought was "what a weird looking little dog". His ears are so big they look like they could pick up sonar transmissions.

Then I read the post under the photo and saw that it was written by Skie. Skie was the husband of a recent business acquaintance of mine Pierce. Just the previous weekend the two of them were married in a big ceremony at Saint Bartholomew's Episcopal Church on Park Ave.

And I think it was just a week or two before that, that I had my meeting with Pierce at his public relations firm Pierce Mattie.

Now it seems they were looking to find a home for this four month old Papillion-Chihuahua mix puppy. The post stated he was up to date on his shots, would probably be around six pounds when full grown, and was available to a good home free of charge...just call this cellphone number to discuss. Oh, and his name was Pee-Wee. Hmmmmm.


I scrolled further down the page and saw another photo of Pee-Wee. He looked much cuter in this shot and so I scrolled back up to the original post and reread it.

I had recently lost my just turned five year old French bulldog "Kobey-Rose" on January 14 2009 due to an inoperable cancerous tumor, and was still in a bit of shell shock. I knew dogs didn't live forever but never expected to lose a dog so young. We had just celebrated Kobey's fifth birthday on December 28 2008. She was an extremely healthy and happy, 25 pound little tank , that I had raised from a pup. Kobey-Rose will live on in my heart forever.

I did want to get another dog someday, and was thinking I would like a smaller breed so we could be more mobile together. Maybe a Chihuahua I could put in my pocket and go. All this ran through my mind as I went back to look at the photos of this little Pee-Wee character.

I continued on with my routine of eating some fruit, drinking some water and checking the other posts out. Then I thought maybe I should just call and find out the story on little Pee-Wee. I quickly checked to see if anyone else had left a comment under the original posting. Someone had but they were in California so I felt relived as I punched the number into my telephone.

Skie answered and told me the dog had been brought to New York from Puerto Rico by a relative the weekend of his wedding. I asked if the dog was a yappy little thing and he said he was not that he was a very sweet dog but their own Shitzu did not seem too happy about having another dog in the home.

I asked for the address and said I would come by around five pm to meet the little guy. I hung up the phone feeling rather amused that I was actually considering getting another dog. As I said I was planning on having another dog someday, but was actually enjoying the freedom from the responsibility of having to care for one. But Pee-Wee was such a cute little dog, kinda like a Chihuahua, and the price was right. OK, now I was starting to get excited.

I called Skie back and said I would try to get there earlier...around 3pm and not to let anyone else take him. He said he would not, that he spoke with Pierce, and knew I was a real dog lover.

I gave him my website GentsCanineSociety.com to check out and mentioned I was also the organizer of FRENCH BULLDOG NYC a social group on Meetup.com. Just to further my credentials as a good adoptive parent.

I washed up and put some clothes on. I found the Sherpa bag I had brought Kobey-Rose home in from her breeder in San Francisco. Called my neighbor Mayda to tell her I was going to go look at a little dog up for adoption.

Mayda got very excited and even told me that the A subway train was running local so I could go all the way to 50th Street and 8th Avenue. Pee-Wee was on West 51 between 8th and 9th Ave. Good!

When I arrived at the apartment, Skie opened the door with Pee-Wee in his arms. I sat down on the sofa and he put the skinny little dog in my lap. Pee-Wee immediately started licking my face all over. I looked over at Skie with a look that said, does he always do this? He was just laughing.

As we talked Pee-Wee settled right down into my lap and started taking a little nap. OK so I have a new dog!

We gathered up Pee-Wee's things, his food, a couple sweaters, a coat and a couple peepee pads. Tiny feeding bowls, a collar, leash, and his paperwork along with some meds he needed because he was teething. We put one of the little sweaters on him and then into the travel bag Pee-Wee went.

Got on the subway going back uptown with me holding the Sherpa bag on my lap. I put my hand into the opening on the top of the bag to reassure the little guy and he nuzzled my hand all the way home. As we entered my apartment I decided I would set up the peepee pads in the kitchen. Since Kobey-Rose was gone I had gotten used to having my thick shaggy carpets down in the bathroom...and I enjoyed feeling them under foot. So this time I would use the kitchen for the potty place. I put the pad down, let Pee-Wee out and he went right for the pad to make a peepee. Great. I then realized I had placed the pad upside down...it's been a while, so I used a second pad to cover the liquid, right side up this time.

I picked Pee-Wee up...gosh he is a tiny little fellow, and called Mayda to come see the new arrival. But not to bring her Pomeranian, Chloe, as Pee-Wee is still too young to be around other dogs.

Mayda loved him at first sight and Pee-Wee stretched out his long neck to give her a little kiss on the mouth. The little guy sure looked cute sitting up in the crook of Mayda's arm with his little paws posed just so. We laughed as I exclaimed,
"I can't believe I have a dog!"