“Hi- I’m Bailey and here is my story (or as much as my new mommy knows anyway) and please forgive my “grammar and lack of fancy vocabulary” I guess you call it; I am a dog after all. One day I was a happy go lucky pup, growing up with my doggie mommy, playing with her and other animals, other dogs, even cats! We all lived outside of my human mommy’s house and were never let in, but I thought that was okay because we had each other to keep warm. Then something very sad happened.  All of a sudden, one minute my doggie mommy was there and the next minute she was gone.  I saw here leave in the car but she never came back again. I was so very sad.  My human mommy said that she had died or something like that.  All I knew was that I missed her so very, very much. I had her to protect me and love me for 6 years.  Every time the car would drive up I wanted to see my doggie mommy jump out to greet me by that never happened.  I just got sadder and sadder as days went by.
                                           
Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, my human mommy said something about having to move and not being able to take me with her.  What?  Where was I going to go?  What was she talking about?  I was so scared!!  My human mommy put me in the car and drove me to a place called an animal shelter which had lots of doggies and kitties! At first I thought, How cool!  I’ll get to play with my animal friends again and soon my human mommy will come and pick me up!  It was very cold at night and rainy too, but I was happy and greeted everyone that walked by with a big smile and wag or two.  I kept thinking my human mommy was coming to get me “any time” now and I made sure to look at everyone’s faces so I wouldn’t miss her. 
                 
There were so many other doggies and kitties just like me- some were what they called “strays” and others were like me, just given up for one reason or another, and I made friends with a couple of them.  There was Gretchen, a very lady like little German Shepherd girl who was the talk of the kennel, and Herbie, a funny guy, so adorable everyone said, and then there was Ranger, a huge black lab, so regal and spectacular if I do say so myself,  and then there was ME.  I kind of figured out after awhile that my human mommy was never coming back to get me. Late at night all of us pals would talk about finding a new forever home.  We all hoped someday soon a new human mommy or daddy would walk by and say-that’s him (or her) that’s the one I want! 

One day, a nice lady walked by and looked at me.  I was so excited!! wagging my tale as hard as I could, showing her what a happy little dog I was.  She stopped and talked to me for a long time- but then she moved on-she moved on to look at my pals like Gretchen and Herbie, and big beautiful Ranger.

But ya know what?  She kept coming back!  Then one day, on December 20, she brought a very nice man with her to see me!  The nice kennel lady took me out on a leash to show me off.   Well, I was beside myself!  There was the cutest puppy in the next play yard over and a kitty that wanted to play too!  I was so excited!!! romping back and forth-smelling kitty and playing between fences with the little puppy! What fun this is I thought!  OOPS!  UMMMM- I guess I should have been nuzzling up to the nice lady and the nice man. After awhile the nice kennel lady took me to my kennel and the nice lady and the nice man went away.  I had some kibble and some water, sulked around a bit, and laid down to take a well deserved nap. 

Then the best thing ever happened!!!!!!!!!!!!  I couldn’t believe it!  The nice kennel lady came and got me and took me out on a leash again!  But this time she handed me to the nice lady and the nice man!!!!!!  What was this?  I got to go in their car and the nice lady even gave me something called steak!!  I was oh so happy but was even happier when I overheard the nice lady and the nice man talking about my friends, Gretchen , Herbie, and Ranger.  They were all going to a forever home too!  The same day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

Well, in all this excitement my new mommy caught me scratching my ears (which I do a lot because they hurt so very bad) and also coughing so she took me to a doggie doctor.  Oh that was not fun at all!  He felt me all over the place and not in a nice way, and stuck something up (you know where) He tried to stick things in my ears and I did not like it- it made me cry! I wouldn’t let him stick the things in my ears all the way – I was too smart for him! He told my mommy besides the Kennel Cough I got from the animal shelter I had something called a horrible ear infection and it would take lots and lots of money to fix it.  This was my first day home at my new mommy’s house. Mommy wanted me to relax a bit after that horrible ordeal so she took me home to take a little nap.  Then oh boy- here we go again- off to another doggie doctor! There was a nice lady that was the assisitant and all the girls in the office were petting me and telling me how cute I was.  They gave me treats and were very nice. There were even little kitties for me to play with walking around in the office!!! 

Then it happened- The nice assistant lady took me into a little room with mommy and the man cam in.  Oh boy, I thought!  Oh No!  Well, if you can believe it- this one’s even worse! He and the nice assistant lady were so good at what they did they managed to hold me tightly so the doctor could get something called a “sample” of my ear stuff (gross stuff I might add.)  I cried and wriggled around like a little fish but it didn’t help. The doctor managed to get a good swipe at my ears and gather some good amounts of (gross stuff) and he also stuck an instrument to see what was happening.  It hurt so so bad and I was crying!  The man was very nice then and felt very sad for me. He told my mommy I have a very very bad ear infection that I have had for a long time, so bad that it’s infecting the bones inside my ears.  He left for awhile while I sat with mommy on the bench.  Then – here he comes again – oh brother, I thought the worst was over but oh no!  The nice assistant and the doctor put me back up on the table and then they started to hold me – again!  Well here it comes!  The doctor put something called an ear flush with medicine in my ear!  Ouchie!!!!!!!!!!!  Then he rubbed and rubbed my ear!  Double ouchie!  Oh but it wasn’t over yet!  Then he went to my other ear and did the same thing!   I have to go back in 2 weeks mommy says and have it all done again.  Good thing I’ll forget by then- I hope!  The doctor gave mommy some pills for me to take at home which I do not like and I try to outfox mommy all the time.  I put them in my cheek and mommy found my cough pills in the craft room and outside in the backyard.   The doctor and my mommy hope this fixes the problem and we all hope I don’t have to have anything else done (especially me.)  It’s “ify” though the doggie doctor says.  Oh ya, and there’s the chewing my paws problem- we’ll handle one thing at a time they said. Mommy was talking about me and her ending up in the poor house, well, I don’t know what that means but if I’m with mommy and I’m in a house, that’s okay. 

Mommy talks to me about Sam sometimes and she even showed me her picture! Wowie! What a beautiful girl!  An unlikely pair we would be for sure.  The typical Lady and Tramp! Sam was a big, fluffy, beautiful girl and I know my mommy still misses her a lot.  Mommy cries sometimes and is sad sometimes too, and that’s okay.  I know how that is because I missed my doggie mommy for a long long time, and my other human mommy too!

I’m somewhat of a scruffy looking guy, lean and little but oh so lovable. Mommy says I’m such a good boy, and I’m smart too!  I learned how to sit in 2 days! Mommy even lets me sit in the leather chair which I love and she gave me a huge soft bed to sleep in at night (in her room of course.)  Mommy thought I might miss sleeping outside- huh?  Are you kidding?  Not a chance!  I’m an indoor doggie now for sure!  Mommy is trying to teach me where exactly to go to the potty, well I certainly don’t go in the house, mommy did teach me that, but to me anywhere outside the house is fine! That includes wood decks, dirt, anywhere - just not in the house!  We’re working on it.

So- mommy says, when I take all my pills and get rid of my ear infections and my Kennel Cough, start eating (because my pills make me sick) stop chewing my paws, get trained to go potty where she wants me to, and oh ya, stop barking and whining when she leaves, then she says I’ll be the perfect dog!  I sit nicely in cars and love to go for rides.  I walk nicely on a leash.  I love other animals and my mommy so very much.  I’m going to have such a wonderful Christmas!  I’ll be in a nice warm house with someone who pets me and brushes me, gives me treats, and gives me something called “tummy rubs, but best of all I’ll be with someone who loves me.”  Isn’t that what we all want?

                                                                      Merry Christmas Everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!