Yes, Pretinha is my puppy and yes, today is her 3rd birthday!<div>
<div>About four or five years ago I was seriously considering buying a puppy of my own. Our family dog, April, was getting older and I knew she wouldn’t be around much longer. April had been our dog since I was 10 years old and the thought of her not being here was heartbreaking. So, I figured going ahead and getting a puppy would help ease the eventual loss of April. </div>
<div>My dad helped me look around at breeders around J but nothing really stuck out to us so I dropped the matter. </div>
<div>Then in August of 2005, I took a trip with Josh and Angele to Illinois. Josh’s grandmother, Uncle Jack and Aunt Judy live there. Josh and Angele visit every year around the time of the State Fair. In conversation, Uncle Jack mentioned that his sister, Pat, breeds Miniature Schnauzer pups. She happened to have a litter that were, at that time, about a month old. I was immediately interested in learning more!</div>
<div>Uncle Jack made a phone call to his sister and learned that all 6 pups already had owners, but if I really wanted a puppy there would be another litter the next summer. Pat also invited me to stop by and see this litter. </div>
<div>So on our way out of Illinois Josh and Angele took me to Pat’s house so I could meet this litter of puppies. They were so adorable! My eyes ran over each puppy briefly and then my eyes just stuck on one particular little puppy. She was the tiniest of the litter, solid black, a female and had floppy ears…exactly what I wanted! I held her almost the whole time we were there and fell in love with her despite the fact she already had someone who had come along and chosen her as their pup. </div>



<div>We left and drove back to J and I can remember being so excited about finding a breeder who took pride in breeding excellent dogs. Most of Pat’s dogs in her breeding line were show dogs so even though I knew I didn’t want a show dog, I knew I had found a good line of dogs. I fully intended to come back next summer and hopefully get another puppy similar to the one I had fallen in love with. </div><div></div>
<div>Then one day it was lunchtime and I had just dropped my students off in the cafeteria and had gone back to my classroom to eat when I decided to check my cell phone to see if I had any messages. I did. It was a message from Uncle Jack and he said, “Hi Elaine. I was just calling to see if you know of anyone who would like to have that little black puppy. The person who was going to take the dog decided she no longer wants the puppy.” I couldn’t believe it! I replied, “Me! I want that little puppy!” </div><div></div>
<div>And so on September 10, 2005, I flew to St. Louis and Pat drove to St. Louis with the puppy and we met there in the airport. I enjoyed a nice visit with Pat before boarding the plane with Pretinha to come back home. </div>
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<div>And that’s how Pretinha became mine!</div><div></div>
<div>And sure enough, it wasn’t a year later and April died. I think the day she died I started pestering my dad about getting a puppy from Pat! I decided on my own to email Pat to see if she had any puppies needing a home. She emailed me back and said although she was no longer breeding dogs, her good friend, Elaine, had a litter. </div><div></div>
<div>I finally convinced my dad to get a puppy! So on July 17th of last year I flew back up to St. Louis for the day to pick up my dad’s dog, Ellie!</div>

<div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p>(From Left: Aunt Judy, me with Ellie, Uncle Jack, Elaine, Pat, Elaine’s friend)

Pretinha and Ellie are not only half-sisters (same father) but they are now the best of friends!



<div></div>(Ellie on left, Pretinha on right)


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- Elaine