Hi! My name is Nikki and this is my story.

I was in a shelter and they told me my time was running out. I was surrendered to the shelter because my mom and dad lost their home and I had no place to go. I didn’t know what that meant but when my dad took me to the shelter, he made sure I had all my medical records so I would have a better chance of finding a home. I’m about 5 years old and had surgery back in 2014 to correct something called entropian in my eye. I was spayed, up to date on my vaccinations and heartworm negative. I have two masses on my chest, but they don’t cause me any discomfort.

When I got to the shelter I was very confused. My family was gone and all I had was a kennel in a room without a window. My family told me I was a good girl, but I must have been bad, or else why would they leave me? I just wanted to be loved again and, out of the cage with its bars and cold concrete floor. Twice a day someone would come and take me outside. I would see other dogs and was very curious for I hadn’t lived with other animals before. I would get so excited! Maybe they would play with me? But no, I  had to go back to the room with no window.

Then I started to hear that I was a lucky girl because a Rescue had agreed to take me and a foster mom was coming to get me. I didn’t know what these words meant, and I sure didn’t feel lucky. I felt alone.

Then someone came to get me out of the cage and I was so confused. I had already been out once and it wasn’t time to go outside again. Wait, they were walking me in a different direction. What was going on? Is this where you go when you “run out of time”?

That was when I saw someone looking at just me and I somehow knew it would all be ok. That someone was my foster mom that the rescue sent to save me. I was saved!

Foster mom knelt down to see me and I just covered her with kisses. She laughed and asked if I wanted to leave and I couldn’t wiggle hard enough. Yes! Yes! Let’s go!

It didn’t take long for my foster mom to figure out that I was probably mostly an “outside” dog before, but that I loved being inside and especially loved being close to people. So here I am. I live with not only foster mom and her daughter, but I have other foster friends here! There is a big male and he is a Rottie like me.  Sometimes he gets grumpy, so I go find my sister to play with. She’s not all Rottie but that is ok, I still like to play with her.

Foster Mom says I am now “crate trained” and am learning my manners very well. I am pretty good at “Sit” and “Come”, I kinda like to “Give Paw” and “Stay” isn’t much fun, but Foster Mom just won’t give up on that one. There is a cat outside. Sometimes I think I want to chase it, but then foster Mom always catches me and tells me “No”.

She also says I have No Idea of personal space. If there is room in your lap, I get to sit in it, right? If you have a snack, shouldn’t I get a snack? I will give you sad eyes and smooches!

Foster Mom says I am a mess, but I am the sweetest mess ever! All I want is to snuggle and play. I am learning my manners because it makes everyone happy. That is what I really, really want…my very own family to snuggle with and make happy!