Odessa is adjusting so well and is loved by everyone she meets. All she has to do is look at a stranger passing on the street, wiggle her little body and tail, and they come right over to say hello. Everyone is so grateful for her and I’m always hearing “thank-you’s” from all her new people friends and that she’s made their day by inviting them over to say hello 🙂
Animal companions have been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember. From hamsters, to bunnies, to horses, and even a favorite cow growing up, I’ve long since built my life around raising, training, caring for, and living with animals. After moving to Vancouver 2 years ago, I started looking for a puppy to join my family. I wasn’t in a rush; I knew that the right dog would find me if I opened myself up to it. So for a few months I browsed all the shelters and rescue sites I could find. I contacted a few breeders, but had my heart set on adoption. I had been following Sgt. Peppers Friends for quite a while and loved the Aruban Cunucu dogs that they rescued, but it felt like a distant dream. Like one of those stories you read about but can’t imagine being able to do yourself. There are a lot of beautiful dogs in need of homes in BC, Canada, and the US, but as I looked and looked, I never felt that “yes” moment when I knew “this dog is for me”.
One day a litter of puppies popped up in need of adoption through Sgt. Peppers Friends; the O puppies. I looked at the photo of the adorable litter, and read through their descriptions, seeing the little male puppy named Olivier and thinking maybe I had found my puppy. I was looking for a male dog, and my brother, who had recently passed away, was nicknamed Ollie. It felt like a nice way to honour him, so, I applied. I thought, these dogs are so cool. Incredibly agile, instinctual, and loyal to their owners. Best of all, being mixes of many different breeds, and many of them street dogs, they have very good health and are very smart, quick learners.
A week later I got an email congratulating me; I had been matched up with a puppy from the O litter! However, it was not little Ollie that I had eyed in the beginning, but the small, feisty female Odessa. At first I wasn’t sure what to do, and then I remembered; things rarely ever work out in the nice, neat little ways we have them planned out in our minds. Very often in life, when things are put in front of you that you don’t expect, they end up being the right things. I learned a few things about this puppy and immediately knew she was my match. She was small, but mighty, the first of her litter to eat, walk, bark, and explore. I grew up with two older brothers, so I learned early on the value of being assertive and brave and tough. I had to be if I wanted to hang out with my brothers and their friends, who I looked up to so much as a young girl. I also found out that she was the puppy in the original photo that I saw, not the male as I had originally thought. I knew that I would love the puppy unconditionally, provide her with a great home, and that she was exactly the dog I needed, even though I didn’t know it at the time I applied. Life is funny this way. It’s the people and situations that we aren’t prepared for that are often our greatest loves and successes.
The staff at Sgt. Peppers put their hearts and souls into caring for all their dogs, and I loved chatting with her foster mom, and receiving videos and photos of little Odessa as I waited for them to find her a flight to North America. After a couple reschedules, she finally made it, and my brother and I drove down to Seattle to pick her up. I chose to name her Riley, she’s very much a tomboy like me, and very mischievous, it suits her perfectly.
That was just about a month ago, and Riley has been true to her adventurous character, and, a total heartthrob. Everyone who meets her wants to take her home, buy her from me, or get a dog from Aruba that’s just like her. She’s only 4 months old now, but carries herself like a confident adult dog and people constantly stop their cars, bikes, or walks to come and talk to us. They comment that she is the friendliest, most “together” puppy they’ve ever met and are always impressed at how aware of her surroundings she is. She loves the grass and the sand, she climbs up on every fallen log she comes across, never gets bored of pinecones, and adores splashing in the water, especially if there are some big dogs around to chase through it! What I love most is that we have been able to educate people about the benefits of adopting a dog, and that there are amazing, organizations all over the world that can help you find one. People really enjoy hearing how well cared for she was before coming to Canada, and how great the Sgt. Peppers Friends organization is to work with. She’s not only beautiful and smart, she’s becoming a Sgt. Peppers Friends mascot right here in Vancouver.
Getting to know her this past month I’ve realized we have many more similarities and I love her more and more each day, and even more on the days that she doesn’t chew my shoes:
– We both love to explore, adventure, and get our paws dirty doing any and all outdoor activities that we can
– We equally enjoy a cozy bed, and a lazy morning cuddling and sleeping in
– We both prefer pure, unprocessed foods
– Small, yappy, designer dogs are very confusing to us both
– We don’t like busy streets and urban city noises, we would like to live in a cabin in the woods one day
– Very independent and does not need to be attended to or entertained by others
– Will nip when scolded or ignored
– Doesn’t always take no for an answer
– Always finds a way to get what we want (such as hiding under the couch in order to eat her bone on the shag carpet, which is against the rules)
– Our favorite shoes are my vans sneakers and my Birkenstocks
– Observant, persistent, makes sure her point gets across
– Cat-like reflexes, agile, and flexible
– And my favorite, stretches multiple times per day.
I can’t wait to continue our journeys together as I watch her grow up and experience all the beauty the West Coast has to offer!
Much Love,
Emma and Riley
@mettatait