Detail your services

 Ever since I was a little baby, I had a strong love for animals that amazed most people. My first word was kitty, and I spent my days crawling around the floor playing with the family cats. I grew up with many different types of animals such as dogs, cats, gerbils, hamsters, birds, and an iguana. Mr. Dizzy was a little black gerbil and also my first pet, I had him for a few years before he sadly passed away. I was devastated and called my mom at work screaming and crying. Time came and went and Mr. Dizzy became a memory.   As I grew older my love and interest in animals grew stronger. My mom had always told me that I had a way with animals that she had never seen before. When I was in 5th grade, I decided that it was time that I got my own dog. My mom was okay with the idea and she talked to my grandma whose dog recently had puppies and they agreed that I would get one of them when they were ready. Time flew by and the puppies were almost ready for new homes and my grandma told me it was time to pick out the one. It was a long drive to her farm in Iola. When we got there I raced to the barn where all the puppies were. They were in little pens with food, water, and hay for bedding.    My grandma opened a pen and 6 little fluffy, off-white puppies ran and stumbled out. I kneeled down and a puppy ran up to me licking my fingers, I told my grandma that this was the puppy I wanted as it climbed into my lap, put it’s little paws on my tummy and stared up at me with its little pink tongue hanging out. We spent about 20 minutes playing with the puppies before they had to be put back in the pen.   I stood up and glanced into all the different pens, until I saw a tiny little brown dog alone, shaking in the corner with crooked ears. I asked why the dog was all alone and my uncle told me that the woman who had purchased her moved into a condo that did not allow animals so she returned her and he planned on letting her loose in the woods because she was too old to sell. I was quick to claim the scared little brown dog whose name would soon be Nakita and she ended up coming home with me that day.   My mom was in shock that I had taken the puppy that no one else wanted, it’s not like she came running up to me. She was scared of everything, and didn’t stop shaking the first week we had her. I spent all of my free time with her, comforting her and making her feel safe until she began to trust me. That’s when she broke out of her shell and became a bouncy little Chihuahua puppy named Nakita.     More time went by; I got older, and more knowledgeable about animals. I became interested in dog training and agility. I loved my little Nikki but I wanted a bigger, more durable dog. I expressed my feelings to my mom and we talked about getting another dog for a few months. We researched different breeds and visited most of the animal shelters in the area but I couldn’t find the perfect dog and I was ready to give up until my mom heard about a pet expo that would be held the following Saturday.     I thought I had found the perfect dog, a little Shiba Inu that had a lot of energy and could easily be trained; we got all the information and walked away. Across the isle was the Wisconsin Sheltie Rescue booth with a dog staring out of a little blue crate. I asked a man if I could meet the dog and he was more than happy to open the crate. The man told me that the orange dog’s name was Murray. The dog stepped into the light and the look in his eyes broke my heart, I got down on my knees and Murray began to lick my face. I pushed him off and laughed when a woman introduced herself as his foster mother. I began to rub Murray’s back when I noticed that he had no hair on his face. I asked Connie, Murray’s foster mother, what had happened to him and she told me Murray was diagnosed with mange, a mite that made his skin itch to the point his fur fell off. I listened as she told me the rest of his story and I was in disbelief that an animal could be treated so badly. All of a sudden I felt a warm liquid spread around my leg and when I looked down, Murray was peeing on me.    I was 14 years old at the time and everyone was expecting me to get upset and give them their dog, but I didn’t. I called my mom over by me and told her what happened and laughed so hard I began to cry. “Look mom, he picked me!” was all I could get out between giggles. I was in love with this dog and I was determined to make him my own.                With time, patience, hard work, and dedication, I worked with Murray and his foster family everyday after school. I learned about his skin disease and how to treat it, where good dog training is located, and how much work it would be to take care of Murray. I didn’t care how hard I would have to work, I loved that dog and he loved me. We had a bond that no one had ever seen before. I waited and waited and waited for a phone call saying that my adoption application was approved and Murray would be coming home with me. Eventually, the phone call came and I was Murray’s new owner. Tears of joy dripped out of my smiling eyes when I told my mom.   I had wanted an agility dog that I could train and win ribbons with. Murray was not that dog; he was nothing like the dog I wanted. Well, you can’t always have what you want. Murray had turned out to be exactly what I needed; he was in love with me as I was with him. No matter what day it was, what time it was, what I was wearing, or what my hair looked like, Murray loved me unconditionally and was always there when I needed him most. He changed me as a person and taught me how to live for the moment and appreciate everything while you have it.      We became well known within the dog community, our story had touched so many people hearts. I didn’t know this at the time but if Murray didn’t get adopted within 10 days he would have to be put to sleep. No body wanted to waste their time with him, I didn’t and still don’t understand why. Murray is the kind of dog that lays his head on your lap and gently licks your fingers when you cry, he is happy just to see you even it’s only been a couple hours. He’s the kind of dog that can put a smile on your face when you feel the lowest of the low. Murray is the kind of dog that I needed in my life, like my best friend from a past life. My family often makes comments about how much we love each other such as, “ If Murray and you were separated you both would commit suicide just to get back to each other” and “ If Murray were a person, you guys would be a match made in heaven”.     Murray changed my perspective of life; he has helped me get over my trust issues, and has saved my life more than once. It’s not even possible for me to picture what my life would have been like without Murray that’s how much he impacted my life, family, and who I’ve become.