Monday, April 28, 2008

Baby turns Three




(Penny on day one, April 28, 2007, with Mister and Missus Pottersblog)
So the story goes like this. I volunteered at the SPCA, and during my orientation, April 28 last year, the manager showed us this cute little 13 inch pure bred beagle living in her office (the count that day: 2 rottweilers, 13 pitbulls in the cages, one tiny and sweet little beagle in the office). Penny ran out to our group and kissed everybody, her little tail and bottom wagging all over. I already had 2 dogs at home, but I asked if I could bring Penny over and introduce her to my wife at work, and of course, my pleading eyes and Penny's pleading eyes won her over in a half second.
I took her home to meet our dogs, and in one second flat she was under our fence and jumped into the river to chase ducks. Thank God she hadn't gone up to the street, but I buried steel mesh all around the bottom of the fence, and she hasn't tried to escape again.
We named her Penny, partly because my mother had once had a beagle named Penny, partly because the shelter called her Aspen, partly because we had a beagle mix named Petey and partly because it was our black lab Jack's mother's name.
Penny is very special, one of those individuals who totally warm your heart. She is so lively and fun yet adorable and sweet, just what this old house had needed.
She had been found in last year's mid-April snow storm, evidently having just given birth to a litter of puppies. No puppies or owner was ever found, and she was sent to the SPCA to find a family. Our vet guessed she was two. So we celebrate her birthday on her anniversary with us.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday to Penny!

Have you seen today's Pearls Before Swine?
http://www.comics.com/comics/pearls/index.html

I laughed and thought of you. :)

Anonymous said...

YAYYY Penny!

Gordo said...

Happy Birthday/Anniversary, Penny!

Gary, I have this fabulous mental image of you down on the floor making pleading eyes at Maude with Penny. :-D

gary rith said...

well, Gord.....

Unknown said...

Special people and special pets just go together, don't they? Lovely pictures, Gary. Obviously, yours is a happy house.

Tink said...

Aw! The best pet stories are the ones where the pet picks the owner and not the other way around. Happy Birthday Penny.

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday, Penny!

On an unrelated note, Gary, has anyone every told you that you resemble a young Peter MacNicol? I was watching a show that he was in the other night and I thought to myself, "That's Gary!" His character was even soft-spoken, like you. :-)

BTW - I've had several people say I look like Julia Roberts. (*snort*)

gary rith said...

a small Julia Roberts, yes I can see it, but who is Peter MacNichol?

Anonymous said...

I can't believe it's been a year already! Happy Birthday, Penny!