Riley Rescues a Princess!

TODAY’S BIG STORY:  We are the proud owners of a new rescue dog ~ a poodle named Princess ~ and her story has great ‘bones’ for a fairy ‘tail’.  Princess began her puppy life as a birthday gift from a husband to his wife.  For three years, she was the object of affection for the young couple; however, as with most fairy tales, her happy life was about to change.  After only a few years of marriage, the wife left the husband, and the husband was left with the dog.  Thankfully, they had no children ~ only one small poodle named Princess, which the husband could not bear to keep. 

So…he loaded up her beautiful bed, her expensive clothes, her pile of doggy toys and her last bag of treats, and he dropped off Princess at a local veterinary clinic. On that day, her life of royalty ended and her life as rescue began. She was stripped of all her belongings and placed in a cage like all the other strays. On the day that her life was to be terminated, a vet tech decided to bring her home.  Her new home now consisted of an eight-foot kennel, a camper top on a dirt surface for shelter, one bowl for water and one bowl for food, and two roommates ~ a Chihuahua and a Pomeranian.  Even though her basic needs were met, Princess was not allowed inside the house...which is where our story starts. 

Princess, Princess ~ poodle peeper; her owner said he could not keep her.  She wound up in a camper shell, and there begins today’s big tale!

RILEY RESCUES A PRINCESS

       My name is Riley, and I am a Shih Tzu prince.  Everyone says that my owners treat me like royalty, which is true.  I sleep on a king-sized bed with a set of hand-crafted doggy steps, so I don’t have to jump so high.  Because of my sensitive skin, I receive weekly spa treatments and soaking baths fit for a queen.  Even the brand of dog food I eat sounds like the name of a Roman emperor.  I am a prince ~ that is for sure.

       The only thing missing in my life is a princess.  I need that special canine to share my castle ~ a sophisticated dog that appreciates the finer (and gluten-free) treats in life.  I am not looking for an unrefined stray with a limited vocabulary.  She must understand basic obedience commands like “Sit!”, “Stay!”, and “That belongs to Riley!”

       So, when my Momma Dee begins noticing this pitiful poodle standing on a camper shell, peeping through a cyclone fence, I bark in my most convincing voice, “No way!”

       “Do you see her, Riley?” Momma Dee asks.

       “Yes! I see her,” I bark again, more aggressively, “and I am not interested!”

       “I know…she’s pitiful,” she says with that comforting voice she uses when she turns over a beetle that is stuck on its back or takes out a centipede that is trapped inside the house.

       So I protest even more!  I sneeze ~ not once, but twice!

       “Okay, if you insist! We will stop and ask about her situation,” she decides ~ not hearing a single woof I said.

       Without my consent, Momma Dee stops at the house.  She leaves me inside the car with the window down and meets the vet tech who is surrounded by a half-dozen dogs.  The lady explains that all the dogs are registered breeds that need good homes.  That’s when Momma Dee asks about the poodle that is always standing on top of the camper shell.  “She has done that ever since we brought her here.  Her name is Princess, and I think she is looking for her Prince Charming."

      The vet tech continues, “For a couple of years, she lived like an actual princess ~ fancy clothes, a beautiful bed, and expensive toys.  She was a gift from a husband to his wife.  When the wife died, the husband could not bear to keep the dog; so she ended up here.”

       I may not understand all the words of the human language, but three words I know for sure.  “We’ll take her!” Momma Dee exclaims.

       Now I have to be firm.  I see my owner walking to the car with the ‘pitiful poodle’, and I start growling.  “Riley…be nice.  Meet Princess,” she says softly as she places her on the back seat.

       “Princess ~ huh. She does not look like a princess. She looks like a muddy, matted mutt,” I growl and turn my head towards the window.

       “I know you are not impressed right now, but you just wait until she has spent a day at the poodle parlor.  She will be the perfect princess,” Momma Dee says as we drive home.

       The first two days with the princess impersonator only convinced me even more that she is not the dog of my dreams.  She used the bathroom (the Number Two kind) on everything!  Momma Dee says that poodles have sensitive stomachs, and they need time to get used to their new homes. Momma Dee placed her in my crate, where she did that messy business all over my fluffy pillow! Then Momma Dee just trashed my favorite pillow like it was a left-over pizza box!  Plus, the only time that Princess (if that's her real name) is not squeaking a squeaky toy is when she is asleep. That constant squeaking gets on my every last doggy nerve!  I completely ignore any attempt that she makes to get my attention.

       Finally, today is grooming day ~ one entire day without her squeaking and squirting!  One entire day spent with my very own Momma Dee ~ just the two of us!  One entire day devoted totally to me ~ the Prince!  Maybe we can just leave her permanently at the poodle parlor!

       No such luck…time passes so quickly when you are finally able to sleep all day. On our way to the groomer, I bark and sneeze and paw Momma Dee.  “Turn around!” I beg. “We do not have to do this!”

       “I know,” she replies, “I can’t wait to see her either!”

       “Ughh! Sometimes I just hate communicating with humans!” I heave a huge sigh of resignation and flop down on the front seat.

       We pull into the driveway, and I stay inside the car.  Then, I see something amazing walk through the doors of the poodle parlor.  Momma Dee is holding the most beautiful white bundle of fur I have ever seen in my life!  Where is Princess? 

       “See, Riley.  I told you that she is a princess.  Isn’t she just the perfect match for you?  From rescue to royalty…you two belong together,” she says softly as she places her on the back seat.

       Now, I know what I have to do.  I have to make her feel like a princess.  So I jump over the console and join her on the backseat.  I give her a quick lick to make her feel special, and then we both get excited to see each other!

       “Cool it, you two!” Momma Dee scolds firmly.

       I protest, of course.  After all, I am Prince Charming, she is my Princess, and we have the back seat of our carriage all to ourselves! What a perfect fairy ‘tail’ ending!

Momma Dee ; )