Thankful Tuesdays: Man's best friend

Grainy pic.  But still a keeper, since it was so hard to get a shot of the boy and dog together!

When you first came to our house, you were malnourished, ridden with scabs and sores, and frightened of almost everything.  We had adopted you off an online classifieds ad posted by your owner, who had been receiving a few warning letters from AVA for keeping 2 dogs in a HDB flat.  You were left in a pet hotel for a few days, and your affectionate nature hated the cage.  All the banging and struggling made your fur drop out, and you were skinny from refusing to eat.  

Hubby and I spent the lunch that was to celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary discussing whether to adopt you.  Your owner had named you "Monster", and her other dog "Cookie" (she wanted to call the dogs together as "Cookie Monster"!).  The next day, we officially had a monster under our bed.  Intially you slept outside in your own basket, but would wake up frightened at your surroundings and would look for us in the room.  I would be wakened in the middle of the night by the smell of bad doggy breath and two imploring eyes looking at me.

It took almost a month before you looked like a normal dog.  The scabs were infected, so we had to apply creams, bathe you with special shampoos, and feed you good stuff like eggs to help you gain weight.  We renamed you "Nicky", since you didn't seem to suit your former name (especially when you would cower, shivering under our bed during thunderstorms).  You became part of our little family, joining us for walks in the park... and my constant companion during late nights when I was up marking.  When I was heavily pregnant with Junior J, you would sometimes lean on my tummy to listen... perhaps wondering about what was happening in there.  

You got a little depressed after the little boy came.  Once the center of attention (you ensured it was so by fishing for pats for every single visitor), you were now side-lined.  Formerly, you did have some bad habits that we found were difficult to correct (since you were already an adult when we got you):  Barking like crazy at everyone else (except for us) when they visited, and pawing at people for pats.  Dragging frantically at the leash, especially when you saw cats.  And barking furiously at other dogs.  And with you being sad, it got sorta worse.  You sometimes would purposely leave pee puddles on the kitchen floor.  And sometimes, you would give us this really sad look.  

You still welcomed us enthusiastically every time we came home.  You patiently endured the rather rough pats from the little boy.  I think if dogs were capable of love, you did love us with the whole of your little doggy heart (but I think half of that love was reserved for anyone that gave you a biscuit).  We still enjoyed having you around despite the tantrums and inconveniences (like the time you had a tummyache and pooped on every single carpet we had in the house).  The little boy loved you, always looking under the bed and calling for you.

But unfortunately, Junior J developed a sensitivity to dust and dogs, and with a heavy heart (after ignoring many people's advice to give you away, and trying our best to vacuum and clean more frequently), we tried to find a new home for you.  Thankfully, hubby's parents wanted to take you in.  So there was this flurry of jabs and documents, and now you have crossed over to become a Malaysian "citizen".  The boy intially kept looking for you, but now knows that Nicky is "in Ah Ma's house in Penang".  We sometimes see you on Skype.    

Sometimes people might scoff to see how others love their pets, saying they are just animals.  But you, smelly crazy doggy, do have a special place in all our hearts.  

I miss having a monster under my bed.  And I thank God that He blessed us with a canine friend, even if it was for a few years.  Be good, doggy, and please don't run out of the house again!  (Which was what he did a few days back, causing some panic with my in-laws.)