Charlie, Eddie & Friends The Little Dogs Who Have Shared Our Home Our Cats' Pages: (Thai Chat and Mingus Page) (Meisha and Jon Li Page) (The Malakettes Page)

In December of 2006, my wife and I were out having lunch and shopping. Rather than come into the hardware store with me Kathy went into a pet store just to look around. When I met up with her in the pet store there she was sitting on a bench cuddling a chihuahua puppy. We had no intention of adopting a dog so Kathy said goodbye to the puppy and we went home.
Kathy began going to the pet store to visit with the puppy until he could find a home. Soon it was every day and, at one point, named him: Eddie. One day in early January 2007, she took a friend who recenty lost a chihuahua to visit Eddie hoping she'd adopt him.		After spending some time with the puppy on each of their laps, Kathy's friend said she had decided to buy Eddie - but not for herself. Having recognized the bond that grew between Kathy and Eddie the friend said she bought him to go home with Kathy.

That is how little Eddie came to live with us and thus began our connection and devotion to little dogs.

It wasn't long before Eddie was part of the family and feeling at home with the cats, including Jon Li (left) and Pumpkin Pie (right), and us humans. Except ...

... Eddie was definitely a "momma's boy" - wary of most other people and still distrustful of "dad" even after a year. This became a big problem one day when "mom" wasn't home and "dad" took him out on the back lawn to potty after feeding him lunch.

He refused to come back in the house and darted off through a wooded patch and onto nearby railroad tracks. He trotted along the gravel & ties, across a bridge and kept going. Eddie was missing for 3 days and we were beside ourselves.

Fortunately someone found him, identified him with a photo we had shared with nearby animal shelters and contacted us. We picked him up at the lady's home which was just a block away from the railroad tracks, 6 or 7 miles away, as the train rides.

We were so relieved, Eddie was happy to be back at home and this episode came to be known as "Eddie's Big Adventure."

Eddie had been with us for a little over a year at this point and we thought it might be good for him to have a canine playmate and that fostering a rescue dog would be a good way to try adding another little dog in the family.

A local animal rescue organization was about to take in a 2 year-old chihuahua. So this little fellow comes to our house at the end of April, 2008.

He immediately made friends with us and the other pets in the house. Unlike Eddie, he was trusting and playful with just about everyone, including "dad".

We took him to our veterinarian after a few days for an examination and to be neutered. It was during this brief absence that we realized we were totaly enamoured of him and decided on plan-b -- fostering turned into adoption.

Now "dad" had a little dog, too. His name was unknown when he arrived. We named him Charlie.

Eddie and Charlie enjoy being togther. They love wrestling and relaxing together on the zebra bed.

Charlie also likes hanging around, sharing blankets, sofas and chairs with the cats.

That's Jon Li on the left and Rah on the right.

Two months or so after Charlie arrived the rescue organization asked us about fostering another dog. His name was Jack.

Jack got along well with the other dogs but not with people. After a few incidents we realized it wasn't going to work out. We kept him until another foster home was found for him.

Charlie and Eddie enjoying a sunbeam together. (Nov 2009)

Notice the Chihuahua trait in which Charlie and Eddie differ: apple-head vs deer-head.
Look closely and also notice Jon Li, mostly out of frame on the left.

Toward the end of 2010 a particulary shy and timid female Chihuahua arrived at MLAR. They named her Pinky.

She wasn't adapting to the kennel situation and so we volunteered to foster her in the quieter enironment at home.

Fortunately it worked out really well. The new arrival fit in well and became a part of the household. We also gave her a new name, Sadie.

She stayed with us for a year or more until ....

** More to come.... Please check back later. **

Below are some useful resources for dog and pet owners, in general:

• An organization called "Expertise" hosts another very good Home Safety Guide for pet owners.
• Another uselful guide to Keeping your Pets Safe at Home is hosted by a site called "Basement Guides".
• Folks bringing a new puppy home might be interested in this new pet parent preparation guide.
• For those who take their pets on road trips, even if just to visit the vet, this page offers tips for Pet Safety in the Car (primarliy for dog owners).
• Safe Traveling with Pets is another, very comprehensive source of tips and information.