Meet the Girls: Elsie.

Imagine one day you come home to find a homeless female on your doorstep. She’s tired and hungry, so you agree to take her in. You feed her and provide her with a warm place to sleep. Three days later she gives birth to triplets. One of those triplets was Elsie.

Elsie Easter to be exact. She was born on Easter 2004. A few weeks later, I started working in the office of a veterinary hospital. Her mother, a stray dachshund mix, wandered up on a co-worker’s porch. The co-worker brought the puppies in to the office and had them set up in the waiting area, hoping some of the clients would be willing to provide good homes for them. I could not resist the runt of the litter.  Who wouldn’t notice her, the only black and white one of the three (her litter-mates were solid black).  Black and white like a cow. Elsie the cow.

The idea of bringing another dog home was originally my husband’s. He thought our rottweiler needed a playmate, but I was not fond of the concept of having another living being to take care of and feed and walk.  Then Elsie came along and lured me in with her bedroom eyes and pink belly.

I had never had a puppy before. My brother was allergic to cats and dogs, so we were only allowed to have hamsters when I was growing up. I had no clue about raising a puppy. But, I learned the hard way. We had a few disagreements in the beginning, and she was a wild one when she was younger, but we worked it out.

Elsie prefers to be naked. Here she is demonstrating that fact.

What about our rottweiler, Sasha? She was not thrilled with the idea of having an annoying little sister who wanted to play every waking moment, but she tolerated it. And when Sasha was diagnosed with cancer in 2006, I was glad she had a fellow dog companion around. I think it extended her given 2 months to live to 4 months. When Sasha passed, I think Elsie picked up some of her spirit. I know, it sounds weird and new-age-y, but she is definitely a different dog since Sasha’s been gone.

Now Elsie is the big sister to our younger mutt, Camille. Now she is the one who tolerates the constant harassment to play, when you can tell she’d much rather chill.  Sorry, Elsie.  Karma’s a bitch.

STATS:
Full Name: Elsie Easter
Aliases: Pooh Bear, Elsie-Poo, Piglet, Pig Bear, Pooh
DOB: 4.11.04
Weight: 45 lbs.
Description: Big footed low-rider. Has the softest black and white fur you will ever feel. Sensitive and loving. Doesn’t like confrontation. Smarter than we know. Loves back scratches. Knows when you need a hug. Barks if the wind blows. Needs to be where the people are. Doesn’t like strange men. Hates getting a pedicure.  Likes to snuggle.

**Check out “Meet the Girls: Camille” !!