Calling All Animal Lovers!!!!

So as you can tell from my bio I'm a huge animal fanatic. I'm shocked it took me this long to make a post about my furry friends.

It all started when I was 1, and I got my first puppy, it was love at first sight. Her name was Brandy and she was a Beagle mix. She slept on my bed every night (as soon as I was outta my crib). She was my side kick and partner in crime.

When we moved from Newfoundland to Montreal Canada my family decided to get an orange kitten. My mother named him Muffin; she didn't came if it was a boy or girl, its name was Muffin. He was five weeks old when we got him and had to be fed with an eye dropper. We didn't have him long. My father became asthmatic and we had to give him away to a family friend. My mother was heart broken; she is a cat lover through and through.

After sometime had pasted we went to the SPCA and found a 5 month old Black Lab Mix. We fell in love on the spot and brought him home that day. We named him Shadow, because he followed us everywhere! Him and Brandy became good friends and we'd always find them curled up by the window in the sun. So then I had to share my twin size bed with two dogs, which I didn't mind at all. After 6 short years in Montreal we moved to New Hampshire. It was a big change but I adjusted with the help of my dogs.
I got diagnosed with cancer in January of 2000, and Brandy died from liver failure that April. It crushed me. I had her all my life and then she was just gone. It was a big void in my life and came at the most horrible time for me and my family.

Some time passed and the family decided that Shadow needed a friend. So my father made some calls and we got a pure bred white boxer, which we named Rocky. He was a ball of energy, a big change from the other two who just liked to relax and chill out. He was nothing like any dog we had before. He was go go go all the time. Rocky and Shadow bonded quickly and became buddies. Rocky was  goofy and an all around sweetheart. He thought of himself as a lap dog. But at 90 pounds it could be a little much. But he was so lovable I let him snuggle with me anytime.

About a year after getting Rocky I stumbled into a pet store and left with a one pound baby Chihuahua. he was too sweet to pass up. We named him Scrappy-Doo, and as we came to fine out his name really fit him. I wasn't sure how Shadow and Rocky would take to him. But to my surprise they loved him, and made him part of the group. They would all play together for hours. It was quite comical watching a 55 pound lab, a 90 pound boxer and a 4 pound chihuahua play fight. Rocky was a gentle giant, he would let Scrappy bite his face and just pretend to bite back. I always got comments about my three boys, they were all so different, but got along amazingly. Some time passed and Shadow got cancer. We tried all the medicine and none of it was working. He was dying. We made the decision as a family to have him put to sleep. He went peacefully. The other boys knew what was going on and were not themselves for quite some time. Dogs are very intelligent, and mourn just like we do.

 After Shadow passed my boyfriend moved in, and brought with him an iguana. We named him Jack Jack (yes from the Incredibles). Come to find out he is a she so now we call her Mrs. Jack Jack.

Myself and Rocky had this thing, he knew when I was coming home. So as soon as I pulled into the driveway I would see him face in the window and he'd meet me right at the door. I got out of work one afternoon and pulled in the driveway, and there was no white face waiting for me. I figured he was busy begging for food. I walked in the door and saw my Dad crying. (I have only seen my Dad cry twice, once when his mother died and again when he told me I had cancer.) I knew something was up. I asked "where's Rocky?" and all my mother said was that he was gone. I hit the floor in tears. Its hard enough to lose a pet when you know they are sick, but just out of the blue, it was devastating. He died in front of my father, from heart failure. Something common in Boxers. He was only 6 years old.

After Rocky died the house was very quite, Scrappy stopped playing and wasn't doing much of anything. He took it harder then anyone. I couldn't see him like that anymore, and we all needed something uplifting. So I went on www.Petfinder.com and found a 16 week old Pit Bull mix. After all the paperwork was filled out, we got to pick him up. We named him Nikko. He's all white with a brown ear and a brown spots. He is a doll. When they found him he was in a box on the side of the road with his brothers and sisters, and his mom was clawing at the box to get them out. Sadly he was the only one that survived. So he is a fighter. Nikko is quite the character, and I can see bits and pieces of all my past dogs in him. He's a loveable snuggler. Pit bulls get a bad rap but I have never seen a bad or mean feature in him. He is now three years old and acts like he's still one.

My boyfriend is a lizard man, so we bought a gecko and named him Calvin. He likes to just chill out and catch the crickets I give him. He loves being held and running around the bed. And once again after naming him, we find out he's a she. So its Mrs. Calvin now.

My boyfriend and I got married in 2010, and bought our first house a week before the wedding. As soon as we moved in (two dogs, and two lizards in tow) we had an opportunity to get kittens. We decided on getting two, because everyone needs a friend. We got a grey and white one, and named him Brembo. And an orange, brown, black and white one we named Sookie. (True Blood fan :o)) The dogs are amazing with them, they play and sleep together, like one big happy family. I couldn't have asked for a better bunch.

About a month ago a family friend got put in the hospital and got evicted from her house. She was going to lose her animals if she couldn't find them a temporary home. So me being me, brought home a 9 year old orange cat, whose name is Tripper. He's an old grouchy cat, but is coming around to all the animals. Which I am very happy about. He is only temporary but he is already part of the family.

My life is animals. They are like my kids (because I don't have any, but still will be when I do). It's awesome to come home to them and wake up to them. They are always happy to see you. I will never not have an animal in my house as long as I live. They make make my life the way it is, and I am grateful for that.

~Heather