Reader Rescue Story: Tweek

This week’s rescue story is about a Chihuahua mix who decided she was going home with the nice lady that sat down next to her in the shelter – even if she wasn’t her kind of dog. We hope you enjoy reading her story has much as we did.

If you are the pet parent of a rescued dog, we want to share your story, too! For information about submitting your story, click here.

Looking for a Small Dog, I Hadn’t Considered a Chihuahua Until I Met Tweek
By Cynthia Goldstein

This is Tweek, our 5-year-old Chihuahua mix who we adopted from a local shelter. We have two other rescue dogs, Hershey and Zoie, and I felt that Zoie needed a dog to play with since Hershey really doesn’t play all that much.

I wanted a small dog, with the same energy level as Zoie, our Lhasa Apso, but who would not require a lot of grooming, as the other two dogs keep me busy in that department. I had just had to put my Shih Tzu to sleep, so I really just wanted a dog that would be easy to care for grooming wise.

A long walk through two of the local pounds left me feeling sad. They didn’t have any small dogs, only big ones. Discouraged, I sat down on the ledge of the Chihuahua enclosure, not even giving them a second thought. I didn’t go there for that type of a dog. Suddenly I felt a lick on my hand. One of the four Chihuahuas in the enclosure had decided that I was going to be her new pet parent.

I just looked at her and one of the staff members caught my expression and said, “I know, I don’t care for that breed either, but that one is very sweet.” I looked at the lady and back to the dog that was looking at me with hopeful little eyes and wagging her tail. How could I say no? She picked me – I certainly did not pick her. She seemed to get along fine with the other dogs. So after she was spayed we brought her home.

Whoever evaluated her at the pound said, “Not into play, wants to be a lap dog,” which could not have been more wrong. Sure, she loves to cuddle, but this is one playful little dog. She starts 99.99 percent of the disruptions in the house; she knows how to do it and then look innocent.

It was a tough adjustment at first. Zoie and Tweek had some issues, but we quickly discovered it was Tweek causing the fights. We were able to control the situation and all has calmed down.

This dog is so full of love. She’s a little insecure, but has come a really long way. She gets along well with all of the other animals and feels it’s her right to be in your lap. She has twice as much energy as the other two dogs combined.

She needs at least two 40-minute walks each day and that seems to be enough to burn off some of her extra energy. She walks great on the treadmill, which she loves. The other two dogs, not so much.

I know she feels grateful to have been rescued, because she proves that every single day. She greets me with tail wags and licks even if I’ve only been gone for five minutes. I can’t imagine my life without her, or without any of them!

PHOTO: Cynthia Goldstein

i Love Dogs, Inc.

i Love Dogs, Inc.’s three websites – ilovedogs.com, ilovedogfriendly.com and findavet.us – provide information and up-to-the-minute news to keep pet parents aware of all things dog. A premium canine vitamins and lifestyle company, i Love Dogs is famous for its line of diamond dog collars. The name says it all — at i Love Dogs, we are committed to the health and happiness of our canine companions.