Happy Tails

Maggie

What can we say about Maggie? She is adorable. She is an unbelievably wonderful dog. She has us wrapped around her little paws. She's our little girl -- our "Mag Pie".

Now, I could write all of the background on how Chris and I once had and then lost a shih tzu and how it devasted us. I could write about the two little shih tzu doggies that The THS tried to save who I never got to meet. Or I could write about Maggie -- who is all that matters in this happy tail. So, long story short: after months of searching and hoping for a shih tzu to bring into our home, with the help of The Toronto Humane Society's staff member James, Chris and I were able to adopt the best dog in the world, Maggie. Just looking at her makes me so happy. Chris and I wonder how anyone could have willfully hurt such a loving, spirited, gentle little animal. We are so grateful to The THS for all of the hard and important work it does in finding and rescuing abused animals. Maggie was not only neglected and beaten by her former owner, but regularly abused by a bigger dog. She also overcame mammory tumors and being spayed at four years old. When Maggie and I were introduced in that little meeting room at The THS, she was all shaved down, because her fur had been so matted, and she was so shaky with fear -- who was I to her then? I knelt down to her level (she's not even a foot tall -- so cute) and she walked over to me, put her paws on my knees and licked my nose. She's been licking my nose every day since.

Naming her was fun too. Her former abusive owner had not given The THS her name, so it was up to Chris and I to think of something all three of us would like. The THS called her Portia, but she just didn't seem to be a Portia. I started calling her Petunia for about an hour, but that didn't seem right either. As Chris and I were playing with our new nameless wonderdog, she rolled over onto her back, to get her stitched-up belly scratched, and her ears flattened out above her head. She looked like an Ewok. So Chris says, "Mogwai?"

"No, no," I said, "that sounds masculine."

"Mag Pie?" says Chris. And the two of us looked at each other. Our new little darling sat upright just then. Chris and I both said, at the same time, "Maggie!"

Maggie's ears perked up, she tilted her head, then kissed both our noses. That was it! She helped us choose her name! And that's how it's been ever since that March 28th, 2003 afternoon. Maggie is a part of every decision we make. We couldn't imagine life without her, our Mag Pie.

Thank you so very much Toronto Humane Society. Truly, thank you. (And we think Maggie is pretty happy with you too; she shows us every day how much she appreciates living like a queen now.)

Sincerely,

Trellawny, Chris and Maggie.

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