Elle Mae, Albuquerque, NM

Hi! My name is Elle Mae the Pretty Pittie Princess!

My story starts off sad. When I was born to my doggy mommy, I didn’t have good people to take care of me. They didn’t deworm my brother, sister or me. They didn’t show us love or even care about us.

We had an angel watching us because a lady from the Humane Society rescued us when we were 5 weeks old. Right when they rescued me, they took me to a big building that smelled like a lot of dogs and cats. It was something called a veterinarian office. Everyone carried me around cause it was hard to walk: My belly touched the ground and my little legs barely moved me when I tried to walk.

I remember that day real good because it was the first day I saw my new mommy. When the vet did the exam and tests they found out that my little belly was full of two different kinds of worms! Eww! Worms in ma belly! 🙁 My new mommy couldn’t take me home that day. She had to promise to come get me on Sunday cause she was working and had to do something called Adoption paper work for the lady who rescued me.

When Mommy and Daddy picked me up the next day it was so amazing! I had something called a crate to ride home in, but Mommy didn’t put me down. I loved all the attention. Daddy tried to act tough at first (I found out later he never had many dogs in his life!). It only took a few looks for him to realize how awesome I was. 🙂

We got home and Mommy and Daddy introduced me to my big sister, Baby. She wasn’t much older or bigger than me but she took such good care of me, bathing me and holding me. Our fur even matches! I found out she was what everyone called a Kat, but I prefer to call her Kats Kattypus’z. Since Baby took good care of me when I was a baby, I don’t chase her around the house ever. She grew up kind of bossy like a real Big Sister so I listen.

When Mommy and Daddy took me home, we had a big house on a farm, with lots of places to run! Then they had to move from that house cause it was too far out of the city, and I got to spend some time at my Grandma and Grandpa’s! It was amazing!

At first, my grandpa didn’t like me cause of how I looked. Mommy says they were scared cause some bad people make pretty dogs like me do mean things for entertainment. But it didn’t take too long for my Grandpa to love me. He is one of my best friends! I love hanging out with grandpa! He has 4 1/2 of these things called acres. I don’t really know what that is, just know that it is fun to run around them!

I stayed with Grandma and Grandpa for about a year before I was back with Mommy and Daddy. Mommy came to visit me as much as she could.

Just this past year Mommy and Daddy decided that we needed to live in this place that is like a big sandbox. I miss my grass sometimes. But there’s been all kinds of new adventures since we moved to this thing called the desert. I learned how to swim…Who knew I’d learn that in the desert!

I learned that I like to go hiking by the river… Mommy says the Rio Grande is more like a creek than a river where we live, but I don’t mind! I like to cliff dive too! My record is about 4 feet off of the ground. I like to run up the bank and around and diiiiiiivee down to where my peoples are. It is sooo much fun!

In the fall Mommy noticed that my lymph nodes were swelling up and I was a little more tired than usual. When I went to the vet they checked on my nodes and did some bloodwork and the results came back that I have B-Cell Lymphoma.

Mommy cried and cried. She has been down this road before. My big kitty brother Yoda also have lymphoma about 6 years ago. Me and Mommy’s first priority was to fight this yucky C word and keep me healthy as long as we could. I fought a good fight for almost a year…

Now I watch my mommy and family and all of my friends from the Rainbow Bridge. I keep a good eye on them and play with all of my new furbaby friends. I know I’ll see my Mommy and family again. Until then I’m healthy and happy!

Love,
Elle Mae

Parent: Amanda

Editor’s Note: On April 11, 2013, Elle Mae went peacefully to the Rainbow Bridge with both her parents holding her.