I was running errands on a Saturday in May 2014 when I stopped at the PetSmart in Clovis, CA to buy cat food for the parking-lot kitty where I work. In front of the store was a rescue group with several adorable dogs in all shapes and sizes available for adoption. Having lost our two fur babies; Max, a cockapoo and Nikki, a buff cocker spaniel, in May 2011 and April 2013 respectively, one to cancer and the other to a heart condition, my husband was still not ready to consider having any more doggies just yet. I managed to get into the store without stopping to visit the dogs, but I couldn’t resist on my way out. There were so many there, I almost missed the crate in the back with the miniature poodle and a border terrier, both female. I inquired about them and learned that they had been turned in to a kill shelter because their family had to move to an apartment that didn’t allow pets. One of the shelter workers runs a rescue organization, and immediately took them both. They were not quite two years old and had been together since they were about eight weeks old. She didn’t want them to be adopted out separately. My husband had an appointment in Fresno, which borders Clovis, so I called him and very gently suggested he take a look at these two. The miniature poodle resembled our Max so much it was eerie. About an hour later, as I’m still running errands, I get a call from my husband who says I need to come back to PetSmart—we have two new family members! He said that when he picked them up to hold them, they each nestled into his neck and lathered him with kisses. Well, I couldn’t get back there fast enough! Fast forward almost six years to the present: Minnie (the poodle) and Daisy (the border terrier) have been with us through several vacations and a move from California to Idaho in 2018. I can’t imagine them having been adopted out separately. The rescue group, PAWS, Precious Animals Worth Saving, out of Fowler, CA, said they had several people who wanted to adopt Minnie, but not Daisy. I’m so glad they held out and didn’t let that happen. These two are practically joined at the hip—they sleep so they are touching each other, and Minnie loves grooming Daisy. I think Max and Nikki sent them to us to fill the void of a home with no pets. Oh, what happened to the parking lot kitty? Well, Mooch, as we called him, ended up going home with one of our employees when she retired. He lived out his days in the comfort of a loving home with a family who adored him.
Terry HGLENNS FERRY, ID
