Friends of a Different Breed: Part I
© Christine M. Miller-Ramey 2012
Today, I’m going to share with you about my dog Betty. I’m continuing these stories from my old website. I’ll try and bring the other stories back over to this site from my old one as soon as I can. But in the meantime, you can stay here for more pet stories coming soon.
Betty is one of the oldest dogs I have living in our home (as I live in my parent’s home due to illness’s I face every day). I got her around 2005 and adopted her from an animal shelter in Jacksonville, Florida where I had lived at the time. I knew what I had in mind when I went in and wasn’t planning on settling for anything else.
Well, I walked around the entire building at least three times as I had a dachshund in mind. I remember seeing all kinds of dogs in there and how crowded it was. It really broke my heart when I stopped to think about how many homeless animals there really was. So, I had almost given up when I had gone around for the third and final time. Then, my eyes set on one dog in particular, and it was my dachshund/ chihuahua that I set my gaze upon as I got closer to her station, it was then in that one moment that I knew she was the one for me. I had missed her several times before because she was hidden from underneath the doorway that set in between the inside of the building, and the outside of the building. Her head was crouched down and I could barely look upon her. I asked the guard that stood next to the gate, “Is this a dachshund?”I asked pointing at the gate.
The guard replied, “Yes ma’am, would you like to see her?”
Of course my only reply was, “Yes please.” Then I continued to explain, “I was looking for a dachshund but I had looked over this place three different times before ever noticing her. I almost missed her.” I somewhat said in a snickering tone of voice.
The guard smiled and almost laughed. “Yeah, that happens here a lot.” He explained as he placed her in my arms.
Of course, it was in that moment I knew that I was taking her home. She was what I had come after to begin with. But I had no idea the role that this dog would play in my life until much later on. See, my husband at the time (as I’m now separated and going through a divorce) didn’t care to have the dog and didn’t think that he would like her but eventually he fell in love with her after much convincing. Still, I was hesitant about bringing her home because of his reaction, but it was something I knew I needed for a lot of different reasons.
Later, after my husband and I separated, she became the one thing I had to lean on. The one I could tell everything too. Even when the humans that I had around me weren’t listening, I knew I could always depend on her.
Animals, unlike humans can be so much more trusting. They can love in ways that humans can’t. But my dog has been with me through the good and through the bad stuff in my life. She has sat at my side when I didn’t feel well as I’m also a Type I Diabetic. So, she is all too familiar with what happens to me when I go low. She warms me up and keeps me company every time.
Whenever my blood sugars drop they tend to drop pretty low. This means that I feel cold and shiver quite a bit. My hands are shaking and if I try to take a glass in my hand, it is difficult to keep the juice from spilling many of times as this is what I need to raise my sugar back to normal again. These are signs of my low blood sugars that I deal with every day.
But Betty, she’s been there for me often times like no other human could ever do. I guess in many ways that is why animals play such an important role in our everyday lives. They feel the holes that often humans cannot.
© Christine M. Miller-Ramey 2012
Today, I’m going to share with you about my dog Betty. I’m continuing these stories from my old website. I’ll try and bring the other stories back over to this site from my old one as soon as I can. But in the meantime, you can stay here for more pet stories coming soon.
Betty is one of the oldest dogs I have living in our home (as I live in my parent’s home due to illness’s I face every day). I got her around 2005 and adopted her from an animal shelter in Jacksonville, Florida where I had lived at the time. I knew what I had in mind when I went in and wasn’t planning on settling for anything else.
Well, I walked around the entire building at least three times as I had a dachshund in mind. I remember seeing all kinds of dogs in there and how crowded it was. It really broke my heart when I stopped to think about how many homeless animals there really was. So, I had almost given up when I had gone around for the third and final time. Then, my eyes set on one dog in particular, and it was my dachshund/ chihuahua that I set my gaze upon as I got closer to her station, it was then in that one moment that I knew she was the one for me. I had missed her several times before because she was hidden from underneath the doorway that set in between the inside of the building, and the outside of the building. Her head was crouched down and I could barely look upon her. I asked the guard that stood next to the gate, “Is this a dachshund?”I asked pointing at the gate.
The guard replied, “Yes ma’am, would you like to see her?”
Of course my only reply was, “Yes please.” Then I continued to explain, “I was looking for a dachshund but I had looked over this place three different times before ever noticing her. I almost missed her.” I somewhat said in a snickering tone of voice.
The guard smiled and almost laughed. “Yeah, that happens here a lot.” He explained as he placed her in my arms.
Of course, it was in that moment I knew that I was taking her home. She was what I had come after to begin with. But I had no idea the role that this dog would play in my life until much later on. See, my husband at the time (as I’m now separated and going through a divorce) didn’t care to have the dog and didn’t think that he would like her but eventually he fell in love with her after much convincing. Still, I was hesitant about bringing her home because of his reaction, but it was something I knew I needed for a lot of different reasons.
Later, after my husband and I separated, she became the one thing I had to lean on. The one I could tell everything too. Even when the humans that I had around me weren’t listening, I knew I could always depend on her.
Animals, unlike humans can be so much more trusting. They can love in ways that humans can’t. But my dog has been with me through the good and through the bad stuff in my life. She has sat at my side when I didn’t feel well as I’m also a Type I Diabetic. So, she is all too familiar with what happens to me when I go low. She warms me up and keeps me company every time.
Whenever my blood sugars drop they tend to drop pretty low. This means that I feel cold and shiver quite a bit. My hands are shaking and if I try to take a glass in my hand, it is difficult to keep the juice from spilling many of times as this is what I need to raise my sugar back to normal again. These are signs of my low blood sugars that I deal with every day.
But Betty, she’s been there for me often times like no other human could ever do. I guess in many ways that is why animals play such an important role in our everyday lives. They feel the holes that often humans cannot.
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