Tiny Dog Stories – Fall 2023

Heart Dog 

Clyde was my heart dog. On the day he died, there was a rainbow. I felt he was telling me that he had arrived safely and was no longer in pain. One year to the day that he died, there was another rainbow. Then, on my 50th birthday, he sent me another rainbow. When I was 65, I got a small rainbow and bridge tattoo. There was no need for Clyde’s name—everyone who knows me knows who the tattoo is for. We will be together again someday, and what a reunion it will be!—Cindy Bonner

The Real Rescuer

Midnight was abandoned at a shelter. She was chained up outside, skinny, and deprived of socialization. The first time I approached her kennel and she leaned against the bars for me to pet her, I knew she was special. She was two when I brought her home, and as a grown German Shepherd with no social skills, it was rough at first—very rough. Over three years later, she is now a well-behaved teddy bear and has helped me through many rough times. I may have rescued her, but she’s been rescuing me ever since.—Gabrielle Carlson

Part of the Pack

Jasper was at Columbus Humane Ohio, a PTSD transfer from the countryside in the rural southeastern part of the state. A Treeing Walker Coonhound found tangled in barbed wire ranch fence during a December snowstorm, he likely got lost during a pack hunt. He was so sad at the shelter that we knew he would probably not get adopted anytime soon. So, we made the leap. It was a tough beginning, but here is our little man today—five years part of our pack as of February 2023. Still a “hot mess” emotionally but a healthy, happy, loving doggo.—MD Cohn

Meant For Us

We had tragedy strike our home when we lost our female pup. Our hearts were broken with a loss nothing could replace. After scrolling and scrolling, I found this little girl needing a home. She was four weeks at the time, but our hearts knew she was sent to us. Now six months old, Link is thriving and exploring as much as her legs can take her.—Anna Reeves

To All the Rescued Dogs That Owned Me

In 1985, I worked in a slum of New York. A skinny stray dog followed me. That was my very first dog that I named Scottie. We boarded the subway, and I hoped that a transit worker wouldn’t boot us off. I’ve been a shelter volunteer since 1989 in Maine, Colorado, and now Arizona. Since then, a steady stream of discards came into my life. There was Maxine, Midnight, Dharma, Harry, Judy, Dottie, Flash, Oscar, Luke, Dolly, George, Franny, Ziggy, Lucy, Fred, Casey, and Whitley. Some were old, blind, deaf, or just needing a home. I loved each and everyone.—Debra J. White

A Geometric Chihuahua?

My youngest chihuahua, Marg A. Rita, is 20 months old and came to live with us at just over three months. She was a typical puppy, full of energy, and she seemed to learn new words/tricks very quickly. When she was about six months old, we came home from shopping and found a perfect equilateral triangle made of her lambchop toys on the floor. Then triangles, arrows, and other shapes started to appear. Finally got to watch her do it—super fast and so proud of her work. She sits and wags her tail proudly when done.—Vicki Mains

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This article originally appeared in the award-winning Modern Dog magazine. Subscribe today!