Narrated by Zilla Brown
Professional photography by Mariaan Browne
My story begins way back in 2010 when it seems I was born – no one knows the exact date.
Then, in 2014, I was surrendered to the Animal Welfare Society in Port Elizabeth, because my owners said I was snappy and they didn’t want me anymore – and there on the 1st of February 2014 I met my human mom. She always came to AWS to walk the dogs and play with the cats, but on this day she came looking for a doggy that she’d heard had been abandoned and needed a home.
She picked me
She walked through all the kennels looking for her and on her way she came to my kennel... there I sat, all black-and-white and ever so cute, except that when she tried to pet me, I snapped at her.
So she moved on as she was looking for another doggy. But then she learned that that one had earned her angel wings as she had cancer. She was very sad but still felt she could give a home to some other doggy and she remembered me, sitting in my kennel. She told me later that she wondered why I’d snapped at her when she was trying to show me love but that she realised that I was most likely just very scared after having to leave my home and finding myself in a very alien environment.
So she picked me up and held me to her heart and over her shoulder and said, “We have to go and chat to God.” So, off we went to sit under a tree and she asked God that he must please bless us so she could take me home and give me a good life, just as she’d given her beloved Snowy who’d been with her for 13 years and died three years before. She later whispered in my ear that she was sure that God had given his blessings, and off we went to the office to enquire whether I may go home with her.
Our journey together
All the staff knew my soon-to-be human mom and so the forms were signed. I was no longer unwanted. I was adopted.
Happy-yappie hallelujah – it was my lucky day. I felt very sorry for all the other doggies still in kennels, but I was just so happy that that day I was the chosen one. She promised me that she’d give me the best life ever and not get cross if I snapped at her; we’d work on the problem together.
And so our journey over the past nearly 10 years began. I couldn’t tell her what my life had been and why I snapped, why I hid under the bed most of the time and snarled and bit her when she tried to coach me out, or why I hid behind the couch and turned into a totally unrecognisable dog when she peeked in at me or tried to touch me. Or why I absolutely hate men and children and bite feet that come too close to me. But I know my human drew her own conclusions as to my behaviour and never once scolded me and worked around my problems to help me be less fearful and to know that I was loved beyond words.
It’s taken all these years for me to almost never go under the bed anymore, and when I do, I’m confident enough to come out when she calls me. I still have my special safe place behind the couch, and when I’m there, she understands and gives me my space; I’ve progressed so well that I even now and then allow her to touch me when I’m there. I’d call that real progress. I still react to feet and sticks and she makes sure that I’m always safe when they come too close to me, even if there are no ill intentions from the owners of the feet and sticks of any kind.
I’ve been a work in progress and have become a real diva (hence my second name).
Heart to heart
I have my very favourite people and they get the most special welcome and kisses when I see them, but the bestest of all love is reserved for my human mom. We live in a retirement village and I’ve been dubbed “The Mayoress” of our village. I regularly go to visit my “Ouma” who lives in the cottage across from us and love it when my three (yes, three!) Godmothers come to visit! They adore me and bring me “num-nums”, and one especially covers my entire head with red lipstick kisses; I end up looking a bit funny, but I lap up the love that goes with it.
I’m very particular as to whom I’ll allow to pet me and who gets the white eye. There are quite a few dogs in our complex (hats off to them for allowing us here) but, again, being the diva that I am, some are tolerated, even played with, and others get short thrift. The darling of my life is Rusty, a big brown rescue dog, and we have a good sniff and game whenever we meet.
My human mom and I have learnt to understand each other perfectly and I’m the most obedient of dogs – I know all my commands and she understands exactly when I’m telling her something.
So, my story may not be of great importance, but to me and my human mom it was life-changing. In the almost 10 years we’ve been together, we’ve loved each other unreservedly and given so much joy to each other. My favourite place to be is still over her heart and draped over her shoulder like a baby.
I’m going on for 14 years (we celebrate my birthday on my adoption day – the 1st of February) and we’ve had many special moments. I’m sending you a collage of photos of just some of these moments.
Thank you for allowing me to share my story with you.
Licks and kisses,
Miss Muffin
