As kids are writing Christmas lists this year a puppy is a common item for a child to wish for. A dog is a huge responsibility for a kid and their family. It’s more than just a one time Christmas gift that you buy, you are buying a lifetime of care and love for that dog. Unfortunately not everyone understands that when they take on the responsibility of a dog and as a result there are thousands of stray and neglected dogs across America. For the majority of these pups the only problem they have with them is that their original owners couldn’t or wouldn’t take care of them. My family has been a huge supporter of adopt, don’t shop our entire lives. I grew up volunteering at the animal shelter with 4H and student council, donating food and toys. It was just always something we prioritized. We currently are the proud parents of three rescues that each have unique but equally sad stories about their lives prior to finding a home with us. Our Mega Mutts are like family to us and I want to introduce them as well as some of our extended family of mutts to y’all.
Mollie is the little blonde and white girl sitting beside me on the rock. We adopted her at the Heber Springs Animal Shelter when she was 2 years old. Mollie had been at the animal shelter for 6 months. The workers described her as a “wild child” likely the reasoning behind her being dumped as a young pup and why no one adopted her before we got there. As we walked through the pens she was really calm and seemed curious about us, so we asked if we could take her out of her cage and interact with her. The employee said “you want that one. She’s a wild child.” Already having one playful pup at home we thought there’s no way she’s any crazier than the one we have at home. We took her into the play area and she was super friendly and calm, not to mention gorgeous. That day we took her home to meet the rest of the family. We’ve had her now for 8 years and she is the most polite, gentle, and well behaved dog we’ve ever owned. She was super easy to house train and she is great with other dogs and loves people, especially my dad. She’s the oldest lady in our house and she leads the pack.
Pip is the chunky black and white girl in my lap. She also came from the Heber Springs Animal Shelter. Our Pip Squeak was 8 weeks old when we saw her on facebook and decided to go check her out. She had been surrendered by a family, for unknown reasons. We assume the family had purchased her to be a kids puppy, but she was full of energy and had the sharpest little teeth. She had no potty training, all things that are 100% common for puppies but qualities that require patience and attention from the owners. Something her previous owners couldn’t provide. She was so small she could fit in the palm of my hand, hence the name Pip Squeak. Now we’ve had her for 3 years, she only goes by Pip because she weighs 25 pounds, a total chunk. Although she is not so little anymore she just as sweet. She loves scratches and is a great cuddler.
Fefe or Punk depending on who wants her attention, is the little black and white pup tucked under my arm. She was adopted from Fuzzy Heart Rescue of Fairfield Bay at 8 weeks old. We adopted her over Thanksgiving break and so we wanted to call her Pumpkin but that was a little too cheesy so we went with punk. At Least that’s what the rest of the family calls her. I really wanted her to have a more girly formal name, so I call her Fefe. Now we’ve had her for over a year. My dad always says “She showed up on my feed” because that’s the excuse we used to convince him we needed another dog. She was one of many rescued from a large hoarding situation. She was so malnourished that the rescue organization had to give her water through a sponge to hydrate her until she got her nutrients back up. She has super wiry hair and the sweetest little whiskers. She’s now our wildest child, in her terrible twos, and the life of the party. She loves to race around our living room, but when she crashes she is the very best cuddle buddy. Her favorite thing to do is lay as close to your face as possible.
Jasper is the black and tan boy sitting on the outside of the rock. He was rescued from Clinton Animal Shelter about a year after my grandpa’s favorite dog died. We knew he needed a new buddy to go fishing and hunting with him. So we went to the Clinton Animal Shelter, in hopes of finding Papa Joe a new friend. Jasper had lived with an older woman and she passed away and so he was surrendered by her family. We didn’t know how long he had been there but we knew he would fit right in around my grandparents house. We knew he was used to older people, he was small, and energetic but not crazy, and he was so so sweet and gentle. So we took him home and now he’s lived with my grandparents for about 5 years and he takes every step my Grandpa takes.
Dobby the smaller blonde and white dog at my feet was found three years ago by my Uncle Allen while walking their dog Lady on a backroad a few miles from their house. Dobby, about three at the time, had been abandoned near a creek with only a box and a towel. Allen came back home to get food for her, and when he took the food back to her, while she desperately wanted and needed it, she wanted human contact more. She positioned herself between him and the truck so he would have to go around her to leave her. Those sad eyes won, and he loaded her up. When he brought her home, she was infested with hundreds of ticks and so malnourished that every rib, vertebrae, and tendon showed in her body. Her hair was thin and lackluster, and there was no spirit left in her eyes. She was so scared her very big ears stayed down more than up those first few weeks. They quickly figured out that she had been someone’s house dog because she begged and pleaded to come into their home. They started letting her into the house, once all her medical issues were under control, gradually increasing the number of hours she was inside. They realized within a few weeks was she was already housebroken. She quickly became attached to both my Aunt and Uncle and Lady, and they would not abandon her again. After three months of living with us, her weight was finally back to normal, but it would take another three months over that to gain her muscle mass back. Now they rarely are down unless she’s so excited to meet someone that she can’t stand it. Dobby is very unique in appearance – big pointed ears that hinge with short little legs and a very long body. Dobby is now four and loves humans, especially tiny humans. Her entire body wags with joy when we meet someone at the park or on a hiking trail. She traveled with them recently on vacation, and everyone that met her remarked what a happy dog she was. Her favorite things to do are meet people, hike, and snuggle. She’s adorable and terribly hard to resist especially with her sweet little face that sometimes looks like she’s smiling.
Birdie the taller blonde and white dog by my feet was a rescue mission by Dobby. A few weeks ago while hiking at one of his favorite state parks, Allen could hear a puppy howling all the way across the park as if its heart were shattering. At the halfway point in the trail, Dobby found the howling puppy, went to check on her, and invited her to join her tribe. That puppy followed Allen and Dobby through the second half of the trail, lying down exhausted every time they stopped over the course of a mile. Once again, a dog was loaded up and brought home. Birdie has been here for a few months now. Like Dobby Birdie was tick and flea infested. She wasn’t as starved as Dobby, but she has many skin sores and was certainly neglected before she was abandoned. Tick and flea free, they are now working on clearing up Birdie’s skin. She’s definitely an outside dog, preferring their deck or front porch to being in the house. Birdie has floppy ears, long legs, and a long tail, and she’s superiorly clumsy just as a puppy should be, often tripping over her own feet. She’s also a few inches taller already than Dobby. She’s about six months old and giving four-year-old Dobby a second puppyhood, chasing her around the yard. After her first walk at the park, it appears she also loves people.
We don’t know what they are or where exactly they came from but we love them none the least. Sometimes mutts have a negative connotation because they are the ones who are dumped but in no way does being a mega mutt make our fur babies any less loveable. They’re like family to each and everyone of us and their stories are testimonies to the turnaround that we can make happen in dogs lives.
Love,
Mega Mutt Mom
Brooke <3
