Kiki & Bug. The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship.
Hi friends! Happy Friday! I hope all of you have had a great week! Anyone else feeling like they cannot comprehend that we are already approaching the month of July?!! I feel like this quarantine had two speeds: glacial pace or lightning fast. It’s crazy. Anyway, I wanted to take the time to share a little about my story with Bug and how much joy having a dog has brought to my life. I honestly don’t know how I would’ve gotten through this quarantine without her. I hope if you live alone, like me, you have a pup at home to keep you company or have considered visiting your local dog rescue center to adopt one. There are so many dogs out there in need of a good home and during times like these we could all use a little extra love. If you are considering adopting a dog or even just donating to their cause, I will be posting names of great rescue organizations here in Houston and resources for you to find one near you if you don’t live in the area!
Growing up we always had dogs. When I was a toddler, we had two dachshunds names Oscar and Meir… I know, so original, Mom haha. But they were sweet dogs. They were my parents first “babies” together until we came along. When both the dachshunds passed away our family felt this gap in our family, like we were missing an integral piece. It’s always amazed me the significance our animals have on our lives that when they’re gone we feel a similar loss as if we lost a family member. It may sound silly to some, but if you’re an animal lover or a pet owner you know it’s true. Our dachshunds had many back and kidney problems towards the end and it was difficult to watch them suffer. So we decided to do some research and maybe get a different breed for our next dog. That’s when we landed on Schatzie, our first miniature schnauzer and we’ve been obsessed with these pups ever since. We’re a full schnauzer family. I have Lola, my sister has Lucy (toy schnauzer) and my parents have Bella and Izzie.
We got Schatzie in 2001 and she was perfect. We instantly fell in love with her, but if you ever met her you’d know it was impossible not to. She was smart, loving, and cute as can be! I think of Schatzie as our true childhood dog because she was with us through so many momentous things in our lives, from elementary school, high school graduation, all the way up till college. Because of Schatzie, our family became schnauzer lovers. So when the time came for me to get a dog for myself, I had no doubt that I wanted a mini schnauzer as well. Then came, Lola.
Lola was one of the smallest in her litter and was a bit quirky, which is why I instantly knew I wanted her. She was unique, her markings were rare for schnauzers, hardly ever do you see a parti like her. She cost way more than the rest, but she was worth every penny (Thank you, mom). I knew she belonged with me the minute I saw a photo of her. I remember the day I went and picked her up from the breeder outside of Dallas. I was so excited to finally meet my little girl! My Papa and uncle are both pilots and love aviation. They both actually own small planes, so they offered to fly me up to Dallas to pick up Lola. You could say she’s a bit spoiled, I mean she got picked up and immediately rode in a private plane home to Houston… No wonder she expects the royal treatment. We set the bar too high from the get go haha. When we got to Dallas and I saw her for the first time I remember crying and holding her close to my chest. I couldn’t believe any animal could be so tiny and cute! She was perfect and she was mine.
Bug is now almost FOUR! I can’t believe it! Time really flies. Getting Lola was one of the best choices I’ve ever made. She’s truly the sweetest animal alive, I swear if I ever had a break-in. she’d like the intruder. Her love cup is never full and can always have endless amounts of belly rubs. More than that, she’s my buddy. I’m so grateful for her unconditional love and constant excitement when she sees me for the millionth time every time I walk through the door.
Info on Rescuing Your Own Pup!
- Houston Pets Alive!- HPA!’s mission is to save dogs and cats at risk of euthanasia and find them loving homes, while preventing unwanted animals.
- HPA! Adoption Center Address: 2800 Antoine Drive, Suite 2854, Houston, TX 77092 (Adoption Hours: 12-7pm every day)
- Houston Humane Society- As unfathomable as it sounds, animal cruelty is a very prevalent issue in the world today. With your help we can reduce animal suffering throughout the Houston area. Adoption, volunteering, education, participating in our special events, or making a donation to help support our programs, are all ways you can help HHS make a difference in lives of abused, homeless, and neglected animals.
- The Houston Humane Society’s Audrey Jones Beck Adoption Center Address: 14700 Almeda Rd., Houston, TX 77053
- BARC Animal Shelter & Adoptions- BARC’s mission is to promote and protect public health and animal care through sheltering, pet placement programs, pet ownership education and animal law enforcement. We are dedicated to the humane, efficient, high quality care of animals in our shelter.
- The BARC shelter: 3200 Carr Street, Houston TX 77026
- Find An Animal Shelter Near You! Click HERE to enter your city!
The Buddy Bandana.
I have also recently teamed up with The Buddy Bandana, an amazing organization that works tirelessly to fight for the care of shelter dogs. Their mission is to spread awareness and raise money for rescue organizations across the country. Each year approximately 1.5 Million shelter animals are euthanized. They donate to no kill shelters to support and save animals in need. If you use the code “kikiandbug” at checkout it will give you a discount off their adorable products! You would not only be giving your pup a cute look but you’d be helping so many other dogs in need!
Till next time, y’all!
xoxo- Kristen Jean