The Pickles Papers: Gotcha Day with my girl Ellie

 On May 29, 2014, my girl picked me out at the Davidson County Animal Shelter in Lexington, NC. A small golden terrier mix, with a wagging tail, bright eyes, and a sweet bark. I wanted her and she wanted me.....and the rest is history! 

The shelter attendant told me that they had given her the name Pickles, but that she didn't recognize it as her name, so I could rename her if I wanted. So.....I let my sweet, beautiful girl tell me....and she is Ellie, named after a queen (Eleanor of Aquitaine). 

I held her all the way home. She was starving and exhausted. She slept cuddled next to me in my bed all night, and I did not hear one cry out of her. She knew that she was home. The next morning, a happy, wiggly puppy woke me up, wanting to play and be petted. 

The animal shelter had assigned the age of one year old to her, but when I took her to the vet, I was told that she was around five months old, and that she still had some of her puppy teeth. The vet estimated her birth date as January 5, 2014, so that is what we celebrate as her birthday.  However, our biggest celebration is our "Gotcha" day on May 29. Who got who? Who rescued who? I saw it is mutual....and so does my girl Ellie.