Monday, October 12, 2009

The Right Kind of Ugly



As a teen going through my "Goth" phase, I would often shop for things my mother would say were UGLY....black clothing, clunky boots, you name it! My response was always something like: Yes, it's ugly...but it's the right kind of ugly -- my mother would laugh & either she or my grandmother would indulge my purchase.

My "right kind of ugly" words have come rushing back to my mind lately as we adopted another dog from a rescue group. We have named her MITZI (formerly: "Kitty") and she is 8 pounds of some funky cuteness all wrapped up in an ugly shell that is precisely "the right kind of ugly". Mitzi was surrendered by her owner in January of 2009 to a County animal shelter in Downey, CA. I was told she had a terrible case of mange and kennel cough, the poor thing. A wonderful group called Sparky & the Gang (based out of Long Beach, CA) rescued her & nursed her back to health in hopes of finding her a suitable home. 10 months later, poor little Mitzi was still with the rescue as no one seemed to want her. Sure, she's not the stereotypical pretty dog, nor is she a young puppy, but she still has a loving heart that deserves a second chance at a nice life.....in walk a pair of suckers for a pretty face, me & Mike (with Frankie in tow)!

We were at a local Oktoberfest event in Montrose on 10/3/09....had some lunch after a nice day of walking around with Frankie (he is simply the envy of anyone that sees his cute face). He was exhausted from all of the attention & so were we. We headed back to the car only now, there was a dog adoption thing going on -- "Uh-oh", I said to Mike as we walked closer. I'm a sucker -- I want to take all dogs home with me when I see them!!! There must have been 20 dogs and puppies here at this event. The "leader", Sherri, was an adorable blonde from Michigan (my home state) and one of her side-kicks, named Mitzi, was just one of the "funnest" people we have ever met (excuse the poor grammar). At any rate, we were looking in the playpen of tiny dogs & "Kitty" was so scruffy & barking as if to say "look at me!!" -- we were looking at her, though & the human Mitzi quickly pulled Kitty from the pack to come out & play with us. (I'm sure they were desperate to get her adopted out). We were filling out paperwork before you knew it, Mike was holding the little scared dog and Frankie was eagerly wanting to play more with her. Mitzi (the human) rode home with us & the little dog to inspect our yard, all the while we joked & had some fun....we gave her a cold beer & a margie while the doggies ran & played in the yard. SOLD. We have a new dog!

I had to take Mitzi back to the fair, so Mike remained home to dog sit the new dog & the old one. We finalized some paperwork & made arrangements to pay the $300 donation/adoption fee to Sherri & her group via mail since I did not have a checkbook on me at the time. Mitzi was SO great, fun & helpful, we ended up naming the new pooch after her -- hopefully, she realizes it's an honor! *wink*

The first 2 nights were rough, no pun intended....the dogs did not sleep well & consequently, neither did we. By night #3, things had improved greatly. PHEW!!! We have had some potty accidents & poor little Mitzi (the K9) had to be spayed last Friday, but I assure you, she is recovering famously! We officially have a nice pair....like Lady & The Tramp, only Frankie looks more like Lady & Mitzi would certainly fall into tramp category. ha ha!

Everyone asks what breed Mitzi is....not really sure, but we suspect terrier mixed with Chihuahua. She has wiry hair, the little bit of it she has. She has a beard & her scraggly hairs atop her tiny head easily take on the shape of a mohawk any given day. She & Frankie became fast friends, although, I think he'd prefer she stay out of his bed when it's time to sleep. Ha ha ha!!! We are tired & overwhelmed at times, but overall, we know we did a good thing taking this little mutt into our home. She's the right kind of ugly for sure with a heart of absolute gold. I hope things continue to improve & she realizes she is in a good place.

To give this a tie to shopping: Home Goods supplied us with a new dog bed & cute doggie dishes for feeding, all at a reasonable price!

Happy Shopping!!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Oh Sue IS the "right kind of ugly" for sure!! Of course, I don't think she is ugly at all. You and Mike are wonderful to take her in and give her a new and happy home. I'm glad that it is all working out for all involved. I can't wait to meet the latest addition to the family! Love you guys!