Happy 13th Birthday, Squall!
It's Squall's 13th birthday today! Can you believe it? If he were human, I'd already have a binata. I never imagined we'd be together this long, and I'm thankful for every minute that I have spent (and will be spending) with him.
My sister got Squall from her friend, whose dog gave birth to a litter of puppies. My sister had first dibs, so she chose the only black male, because most of the dogs we had were either red or brown. He ended up red when he became an adult, though! LOL!
When we first welcomed him in our home, I still had Zawie, so I didn't really bond with him that much. (I'm a loyal, one-dog human.) My dad was the one who took care of him, and then after my dad passed, my sister and her husband took over his care. It took a couple of years after Zawie's passing before I warmed up to Squall (and he to me). I was grieving and didn't fancy giving my heart up for another dog to break. But what can I do? Dogs have the talent to worm their way into your heart, no matter how much you try to wall them out.
I think the first time I realized how much I already care about Squall was when he had a fight with another dog -- he was bloody and bruised, and I wanted to take him to the vet but he wouldn't let me, and I got so panicky that I had to call my sister at work (or maybe in school, I don't remember). It took him a lot longer to trust me, and with his trust also came confidence (and a bit of spoiled-brattery), but then the rest is history. Now I dote on him and he tolerates me. Hahaha!
I can't imagine life without Squall, and my fervent wish for his birthday is to never find out. ♥
More photos (Flickr photoset)