My Childhood Dream

Once upon a time....

(this story is told with mild dramatization. However, it is mostly accurate.)

there was a little girl that had a deep burning desire to own her very own puppy dog. She didn't care what kind, indoor or outdoor, she just wanted a little furry pup to call her friend and play with all the time. The little girl's mom had grown up with a poodle and couldn't stand to see a dog stuck outside. However, her dad had grown up with big sheep dogs. He refused to have a yappy little animal shedding hair on the furniture. The compromise? No dog. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Naturally, this shattered the little girl's dreams.

For her 8th birthday, the little girl wanted a puppy SO badly all she did was beg.
And ask.
And beg.
And ask.
And beg a little more.
Finally, the big birthday came and she couldn't contain her anticipation of possibly getting that cuddly creature. She waited as patiently as she could. When the final gift was presented, she just knew it had to be a puppy. That's all she had asked for, so how could her parents not get it? As the shiny paper was daintily ripped apart, a box emerged containing something she never had expected. A puppy! But not the puppy she had asked for. It was a puppy full of cotton batting with curly black fur and smooth button eyes. This was not a living, breathing puppy but a stuffed animal.


Her parents simply said that this was as close to a puppy as she was going to get. Her little heart broke but she put on a happy face. "Pepper" became her very best friend, following her anywhere and everywhere. Pepper was there to play ship in her bed, was there to watch Arthur and Zoom on PBS after a long day of school, was there to watch the little girl dance in the family room, was there to assist with Madeline's Adventures on the computer, was there to climb the tree in the backyard to spy on the oh-so-cute Taylor Pingree playing soccer in his yard, and so much more.

As the little grew up, she started spending less time with Pepper and more time with make-up and friends. Her baby brother, Jared, began to take Pepper and claim her as his own. The already tattered puppy began to look like a rugrat once Jared toted her around everywhere. However, this little rugrat was soiled with years and years of love. Finally, with button eyes chipped off and batting spilling out of the holes, Pepper was put away in the closet....for good. She was a dear friend, but it was time for her to retire.

Over ten years later, that little girl-turned-woman, still had a deep love for puppies. She observed friends, cousins and neighbors lovin' on their own puppies and decided that it was time for her family to finally have one. Enough was enough. So she searched the internet for a good deal on a puppy. After a few phone calls, a visit to the breeder, and some seriously intense convincing, the girl finally bought her very own [real life] puppy!


Mia, the 9 month old Yorkie, grabbed a hold of the girl's heart from the first few moments together. Deciding on the name was quite the task, but after failed attempts with Maizy, Rosie, Samoa (because she looked like a Girl's Scout Samoa cookie) and Moa, the name of Mia started to stick. Mia was the perfect puppy, minus the fact that she was not house trained yet. She liked to play outside and explore in the backyard. She liked to perch up right on people's feet and take a nap. She really only barked when she wanted to get out of her crate in the middle of the night for a potty break/play time. But just as any other puppy, she liked to chew on the rug and had zero control over her bladder. The girl and her mother cleaned up quite a few "accidents" inside the house. Needless to say, the puppy required a lifestyle change for the girl's family. But one that she wanted to make, oh so badly!


The girl however had a job and a life to attend to. She woke up early with Mia to play and spent every extra minute with her that she could. But current jobs made it a little difficult to be with her always. The girl's mother began spending countless hours with the pup, which was not going so well. After frustration, reassessment, conflicting opinions and even a few tears, it was decided that Mia couldn't stay with the girl's family long term. That day, the girl posted an ad on KSL for her precious Mia. Within the next two days, there were interested buyers.

Five days after the purchase of Mia, the girl and her mother were traveling down to Layton to meet the soon-to-be-new-owner. The sweet puppy slept soundly in her kennel to the hum of the car. Few words were exchanged during that car ride. It was bittersweet for the both of them.

The End.

[Now, have you ever heard of a story beginning with "once upon a time" end unhappy? Nope. Neither have I. And this story is no exception. Let me continue to the reeeeeal ending.]

The girl and her mother arrived in Layton on a Saturday afternoon. The biggest concern for the girl was that the new owner (who had provided very little information) would not treat Mia with the kind of love that she deserved. What kind of home life would she be living in? Would she be stuck in a kennel all day with no one to play with? Would she be fed enough food? Even after just a few days, the girl had some deep ties to this puppy of her dreams.


Ashley, the new owner, was an answer to prayers. She couldn't wait to see Mia and welcomed the little pup with a giant hug and belly rub. Ashley had worked in kennels before and said she "loved training puppies". She had a group of friends who all recently purchased Yorkies, and couldn't wait to join in on their puppy play dates at the park. Her boyfriend and his father had chipped in a little to help her pay for the dog, because they knew how badly she wanted one. We chatted for a bit, exchanged contact information, gave her all of Mia's belongings and then had to do that thing that the girl had been dreading....saying goodbye. One final hug and kiss on the head was all that the girl could give this puppy she had wanted her whole life. In the arms of her new owner, Mia sat in the front seat of a large Ford truck and headed off to her new life in Salt Lake.

An odd feeling of emptiness came over the girl. A feeling like her closest friend had disappeared. But moments after, a sense of happiness washed over. Mia was in good hands. She had a new family that loved and wanted her, just as much as the girl had. She had someone who could spend quality time with her and had new Yorkie friends to meet. Would Mia even remember her short experience with the girl? Most likely not. In fact, Mia probably forgot about the girl a few hours later. But the girl will forever remember Mia as her first puppy and most importantly as her childhood dream finally coming true!


So with Mia in a good home and new dreams for the girl of owning a puppy (when she has her own family), they all lived...

Happily Ever After.


The End.