AND THEN THERE WAS ME!

DEE AND THE BIG GUY WERE VERY EXCITED ABOUT HAVING ANOTHER SHELTIE IN THE HOUSE AND LADYBUG WAS CERTAINLY A MOST WELCOME DISTRACTION FROM THE LOSS OF SHELBY AND OBI WAN.

IN THE FIRST COUPLE OF WEEKS IN HER NEW SURROUNDINGS, LADYBUG WASTED NO TIME ESTABLISHING HERSELF AS A SWEET AND LOVABLE GIRL WHOSE SOLE MISSION IN LIFE SEEMED TO BE...BECOMING DEE AND THE BIG GUYS ONE AND ONLY.

UNFORTUNATELY, SHE ALSO WASTED NO TIME ESTABLISHING HERSELF AS VERY AGGRESSIVE ALPHA DOG WHO WAS NOT REAL HAPPY WITH THE IDEA OF HAVING TO SHARE THE LOVE AND AFFECTION OF DEE AND THE BIG GUY WITH THE OTHERS.

AS THE OTHER DOGS BEGAN TO RETREAT INTO THEIR KENNELS HOPING TO AVOID ALL CONTACT WITH LADYBUG, DEE AND THE BIG GUY BECAME MORE AND MORE FEARFUL THAT LADYBUG'S ON-GOING AGGRESSION COULD VERY WELL RESULT IN ONE OF THE OTHER DOGS BEING SERIOUSLY INJURED...OR WORSE.

RELUCTANTLY, THEY CONTACTED THE FOLKS IN AUSTIN WHERE THEY HAD RESCUED LADYBUG FROM AND EXPRESSED THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT HER AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR.

INSTEAD OF SIMPLY RETURNING HER TO THE SHELTER, WHICH CAN REALLY BE AN  UNNECESSARY PSYCHOLOGICAL SET BACK FOR A LOT OF RESCUE ANIMALS, DEE AND THE BIG GUY AGREED TO KEEP LADYBUG AROUND FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE AND ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE WITH HELPING TO FIND HER THE KIND OF HOME SHE WOULD FLOURISH IN AS AN ONLY DOG.

IN NO TIME AT ALL, DEE AND THE BIG GUY WERE CONTACTED BY A POTENTIAL OWNER WHO CAME UP FROM SAN ANTONIO TO MEET LADYBUG AND WOUND UP FALLING IN LOVE WITH HER THE MOMENT THEY LAID EYES ON HER. THE REST IS HISTORY. THEY HAVE BEEN INSEPARABLE...EVER SINCE.

                                                       AWWWW!

(I WASN'T AROUND AT THE TIME, BUT I UNDERSTAND THE CONNECTION BETWEEN LADYBUG AND HER NEW OWNER...WAS WITHOUT A DOUBT...THE CINDERELLA STORY LADYBUG WAS CERTAINLY ENTITLED TO)..

 DON'T GO AWAY...I NEED TO STRETCH MY ITTY-BITTY BONES FOR A SECOND...

                                                     AHHHH..MUCH BETTER!

WITH THE SADNESS OF HAVING TO LET LADYBUG GO ON TOP OF THE HEARTACHE STILL BEING FELT OVER THE LOSS OF SHELBY AND OBI WAN...DEE WAS JUST ABOUT READY TO TAKE A LONG HEART-HEALING BREAK FROM SEARCHING FOR ANOTHER FURRY FRIEND TO LOVE....INDEFINITELY.

ONE AFTERNOON, WHILE DEE WAS BROWSING THROUGH ONE OF THOSE LOCAL CLASSIFIED AD'S SITES...SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL HAPPENED, THAT CAN ONLY BE DESCRIBED AS HEART-WARMING & LIFE-CHANGING.

ME!

                               WHEN I COME BACK...LET THE ADVENTURE BEGIN!