Birthdays Are Great!

Whoa.

Does everybody know about this “Birthday” thing or is just my family? Because if you don’t know, then you need to know because they are the greatest thing ever, and it wasn’t even MY birthday!

April (my big sister, she’s kind of a big deal around here) turned twelve years old yesterday. Which is old I think. I don’t know how old I am but mom and dad say I have lived here for almost a whole year, and I know where I was before it felt like a LOT longer than here, but maybe that’s because I didn’t like it… I’ll ask mom how old I am later and when my birthday is and I’ll let you guys know!

Yesterday dad and I got to go for a car ride just him and I, and we went into this amazing store called “Leaps and Bones” in South Windsor that smelled AMAZING. This place was FILLED with things I wanted to eat and play with and best yet everybody I saw squealed and called me a “cute block head” and then they patted me and told me I was a good boy. I even got some treats, but dad told me not to tell mom because it was our little secret tee hee! This is why I love small businesses so much.

There was an entire display of cakes made just for dogs and dad and I picked out one for April. It was peanut butter flavored and had beautiful pink icing on it. Perfect for a princess like her. The nice people at the store even wrote her name on it for her and put it in a box so it would stay safe on the ride home.

Mom was so excited when he handed her the box and she kept squealing about it excitedly all day long. She cut it into pieces and gave April the first slice. All my brothers and I were standing behind mom drooling on her shoulder because it smelled so good. April LOVED it! Mom tried to feed it to her in bites and April said “NOPE GIMME CAKE” tee hee and she grabbed the WHOLE thing. Mom just laughed, and when she made sure she had eaten it all she got up and put cake slices into bowls for all of us. I know April got seconds but that’s okay because I had never even had cake before, and when I tell you that it’s delicious, I am not even exaggerating!

THEN dad left for a little bit and mom went back to working and we all fell asleep by the woodstove. It was dark when I woke up and mom was putting me in my crate and then suddenly her, dad, and April were gone. I didn’t really love that but I was sleepy so I fell asleep and when April got home she was smiling from ear to ear and she was so excited to tell us all about how she went for a jeep ride! I was so happy for her! My biggest brother and I get to for jeep rides with dad a lot, but dad says the jeep is too bouncy for April and he doesn’t want her getting scared or hurt. Do you know what he did? He went to a store and bought her the THICKEST bed I have ever seen and it fit the back of the jeep perfectly! Then he and mom took her driving around town. April says they even put windows down so she could smell everything. She was so tired from her big day that she fell asleep so fast last night. What a great day it was!

April is the only girl in the house other than mom and dad says it’s our job as men to protect, care for, and make our women happy because they do so much for us and ask for so little. I hadn’t ever really thought about it but after he said that I started thinking about when I first came into the house, and April made sure the other dogs were being nice to me. She may not seem very strong or scary but if one of my brothers would get rough with me, or if she thought I was scared, then she would hop over with a loud warning bark and nip at them. That’s all it ever took. Most times that would get mom’s attention and she would separate us or whatever, but even if mom wasn’t around everyody listens to April. Even my biggest brother is such a mush with her. She gets away with EVERYTHING but she’s been here a really long time and though she doesn’t talk about it I know her past is probably as bad or worse than mine. At least I still have all my legs. I don’t know what happened to hers. She never talks about it. Sometimes I wonder if she even knows honestly. She just takes everything in stride and is always so happy and determined.

Mom talks to her a lot and sits just one on one with her behind a baby gate so my brothers and I don’t step on them or push her out of the way. We don’t mean to be rough and tumble but we are a bit chaotic… She tells April stories about things they have done, places they have gone, and people they have met. I never really thought about it but I should listen to those stories. I bet if I lay down outside the gate that mom won’t mind. She gets this real faraway happy look when she talks to her and sometimes she cries and kisses Aprils head for a long long time.

I wonder how old mom is if April is twelve. Maybe like fifteen? Dad is probably older. Maybe sixteen or seventeen? My gosh I am realizing how many questions I have that I never thought of before. All I ever really thought about was being hungry or scared, and then mom and dad brought me home and I never have to even think about that anymore. Mom says she loves that I am asking questions about others, and it shows that I am growing up and starting to look at the world in a better way. She tells me it takes time, and to be patient with myself. I guess I’ll learn as I go right?

I’ve already chattered on more than I wanted to but I am realizing that just telling you about me isn’t enough, and I need to start telling you more about this project mom and dad are doing and why I think I am the perfect doggo for the job to help them reach their goals. I know it just seems like I am just annoyed that mom and dad won’t have time to take me out exploring as much, and I think it started that way, but as I’ve been writing to you guys I have been listening to them talk a lot more, and I realize this isn’t just some silly thing they are doing.

One thing I hear them say a lot is “we can’t save them all.” They talk about how the house is small and it wouldn’t be fair to bring more dogs in. Then everyday they share stories and pictures of dogs who need help and I see how upset they get. They talk about how there are so many rescues doing such great work but funding, support, and volunteers are disappearing and they can’t continue on. Do you know there are dogs who have lived in cages for years? That’s heartbreaking and I see how upset it makes them.

They don’t talk about bringing more dogs in here. Now they talk about how to help dogs stay in the loving homes where they live. I know mom has huge dreams about completely revamping the shelter system altogether but for now the goal is to help people keep their dogs fed without financial strain. Times are scary out there they say, and I know that’s right, because I was out there.

They saved my life and if I can help repay that and help other dogs like me, then I want to do it. I’m going to start planning out more what I am going to write so it’s easier for you to read and to know what to expect. Let me think about how to do this and my next letter will be better ok? Thanks for sticking with me while I am learning. It’s hard but it’s worth it, and I can’t do it without you.

Mom says birthdays are when you get older. I know people grow up when they get older so maybe April and I share a birthday. Because I sure do feel more grown up today.

Butt wiggles and snuggles - Your Bestie Bru Bru

Oh! PS. or whatever. I am going to add that newsletter form to the bottom of all my letters now so you have an easy way to let mom know you are on board with the project. If you have questions you want to ask her directly there is a contact form on the website (www.sitstaylivehere.com) under the “about us” section.