Nyanza The Northwest Puppy
(Lakewood
WA)
Hello Kids'! My name is "Nyanza" (Ny, is my nickname) and
I share a small house in Lakewood Washington (just south of Seattle) with two
children named "Joshua" and "Amanda." I should say, they live with me and I watch out for them
because they are family.
I am a Collie-Shepard mix, some would call me a mutt but I prefer Ny or
just handsome. I'm a lucky pup because my family adopted me from the local
pound. In return I do my best to
keep the family happy and safe. Whenever
I smell danger, I make sure to check on the kids and speak very loudly at the
strangers.
I've got long straight blonde hair, big feet (paws), and a very large
mouth (jaws). Most strangers that
encounter me tuck their heads and scurry off.
This concept works quite well! Amanda
and Joshua sneak food to me now and then off the dining room table to show their
love. Of course I resist at first.
Well, at least until I'm sure no one else is looking.
I am an expert at cleaning up table scraps that fall onto the floor.
In fact, my favorite hang out is underneath little Joshua's chair because
that's where the delicious snacks accumulate.
My owners try to give me dog food. Yuck!
What do they think I am, an animal?
I feed the dog food to the cat named "Deedle-Dee."
Yes, I said Deedle-Dee. The
kids named her. Oh yea!
Did I mention we have a cat? She's
a she and she's a Calico! She's
pretty lazy if you ask me. She just
hangs around the house purring for attention.
I pretend not to notice her that is unless she gets to close to my food.
A grumpy snarl let's her know I mean business and she quickly backs off.
She loves to lie on the freshly washed and dried laundry, snuggling up
into a round ball on the warm clothes. If
I did that my owners would surely be upset!
Did I mention I'm allergic to cats?
In fact I know I am!
The owners of the house (the ones that tried to feed me dog food)
recently brought home a small older poodle mix dog with a high- pitched squeaky
voice named "Inky." Now
you know just how small this dog is. "Inky"
kinda says it all! He's not so bad
and definitely better than that cat. But
at times I find myself stumbling over him in a race for food. He's pretty quick for his size. I'll give him that!
But I have the weight advantage!
I felt kinda left out one day with all the other animals around and all.
I decided to sneak out the back door and over the fence.
The next thing I remember was having doggy dreams and waking up in the
hospital (the animal hospital that is). I
was all wrapped up like a mummy in bandages.
There were other cute mutts in cages behind me but I still felt alone.
Amanda and Joshua showed up that evening and gave me the biggest hug.
There were tears of joy in their eyes when they heard I would be okay.
Apparently I had been hit by a car.
Luckily for me the people stopped and brought me to the hospital.
I learned a valuable lesson that day and never ran away again. I kissed my family and returned home still wrapped in
bandages and wagging my still working tail.
I tried to scare off the mailman but the dreaded hospital bill finally
arrived. I guess Inky and Deedle-Dee
weren't so bad after all and I learned to live with my feline allergies.
I was just happy to be back home safe and sound with my two kids that
love me, and the devoted family that adopted me.
I've accepted the other animals and even share my food with them.
Well, the dog food that is!
Copyright
1997 by Author Patti Tricoli
