Nellie
I’m deaf but I’m happy. Why wouldn’t I be happy? I was supposed to die two months ago at the shelter. Nobody thought I was worth saving except for Old Dog Haven.
Okay, so I can’t hear and I can only see when I look straight ahead. I lose track of my people and pack all the time. If somebody moves right or left I can’t see them. I look all around until I see mom then I run to her. If I don’t see her I take myself back to the house and wait for someone to come find me.
People feel sorry for me when they first meet me. Deaf, limited sight, tilted head, stumble when I walk. Who cares? I’m alive! What else matters?
Now here’s the part you won’t believe. We get home cooked meals at Asherpark! I know. It’s crazy. Mom cooks for us all the time. This morning I had slop with leftover salmon, turkey and yummy apples. Sometimes mom tries to slip some vegetables in my bowl. Yuck! I spit them out like they were poison. One time I spit all over the floor and mom had to get the mop. I thought she would be mad but she was laughing so hard she could hardly talk.
Sometimes mom feels bad when she sees me all alone in the pasture. The rest of the pack knew it was time to go back to the house, but I missed it. Then I’m all alone looking for a familiar face. I get this kinda forlorn look on my face that says “Where is everybody?” But then I see mom and my eyes light up. I start prancing towards her and everybody feels better.
I lose mom in the house all the time. She turns one way and I turn the other way and petty soon I’m all confused. Sometimes I see mom in the mirror. I try to walk through the mirror so I can get to her, but she always ends up behind me. One time I saw Ash in the mirror and I tried to nip him cause he was right in my face. But all I got was a taste of glass and a bump on my nose. Turns out Ash was behind me the whole time.
I’m learning some things aren’t always what they seem. But some things never change. Mom is always happy to see me when I find her. How do I know that? Cause she tells me so! That’s the only thing that matters to me. I may be wondering where everybody went, but when they find me they tell me I’m special and I’m loved. Doesn’t get much better than that.