Paw Prints On Our Hearts

Today is

LOVE YOUR PET DAY

And since we just lost our beloved puppy, Boots...I wanted to honor the pets that remain with us.

Alli and Hoss

 Alli is our rescued yellow mountain cur dog that followed William home from elementary school one day and decided that we were hers.  From day one, she guarded our back yard and kept the teenaged boys that were visiting our daughters on their toes.  She is super sweet and lovable, but you don't get on her bad side.  Just ask Derrick what happens when you try taking her bone away from her.

Hoss was born to a stray that wandered up to our property in 2008.  We have no idea what his lineage is other than mutt (his mother looked like a lab mix).  But he is the kindest and strangest male dog we have ever had.  We have nicknamed him 'the eunuch' because he is constantly at Alli's side.  He defleas her and bows to her every whim.  He is my sidekick when I go for walk...unless Alli comes along.  You should see him trying to decide who to defend when other dogs come around.  He runs from me to her to me to her.  It drives him nuts!

Pib protecting Elliot when she was a baby

 This is our oldest pet, a black Chinese pug named Pib.  Pib came to us via a client of my mother's when the kids were still pretty young...around 1998 or 1999.  He was two years old then and had lived with a Doberman Pinscher and a Pit Bull...so he had a bit of a little man complex.  It was a good six months or more before he even barked.  He is such an old man now.  And looks like one.  He has been hit by two cars and mauled by a pack of 'teddy bear' dogs since we got him...and yet, he is still kicking.  He can hardly see and barely hear so things can be quite interesting when I go to wake him up some mornings.  He was Meagan's baby...and then Brian's...and finally Will's...so now he just tolerates Jim and I most days.  That's okay, he has earned the right to be a grumpy old man.

Butkus (Photo taken by Brianne and borrowed from her Facebook page)

 This is Butkus.  I have no idea what kind of dog he is.  He is another rescue dog that looked at Jim with that sweet face and found his way to our house.  Jim stops at a local convenience store on the way home from work most days.  During his routine stop Butkus followed him in to the store.  The cashier chased him out and Jim drove away...but soon turned around and picked him up.  He is a SMART dog and loves to sit with me in my chair when it's cold outside and Jim feels sorry enough for them to let them in.  He likes to sit like a human though.

And finally...

Zoe's favorite spot...on top of any book I am trying to read.

This is technically NOT our pet...but Brianne's.  However, she has been living with us until Bri and Josh have their home free of cat-killing dogs.  Bri found Zoe in our driveway after school just before she turned 16.  She was tiny...so much so that Bri was able to hide her in a drawer for two weeks before she asked to keep her as a birthday present.  My only condition was that I never had to clean the litter box.  UMMM....yeah....do remember that deal, Bri?  We think she is a Maine Coon Cat with beautiful tortoise shell colored markings and long, fluffy hair.  She is getting bossy in her old (ten year) age though.  Especially when it comes to food!