Happy Birthday, Kasey!

Old dogs, like old shoes, are comfortable.
They might be a bit out of shape
and a little worn around the edges,
but they fit well.
~ Bonnie Wilcox

Today is Kasey's 13th birthday!

Mischief's Little Miss Kasey is the product of a Nebraska puppy mill. Shortly after our Cairn Terrier passed away, we saw her in a pet store, beating a Basenji over the head with the cast that held her broken paw - a child had stepped on it. Not one to buy from and support puppy stores/mills, I was horrified and couldn't sleep that night. The next day, we rescued her from what most likely would have been a trip to the pound. She rescued me from the sadness of my Corky's suddent passing.

Kasey was about six months old when we moved from Las Vegas to Nashville, and she accompanied my mom and me on the long, cross-country drive, charming everyone she met along the way. When we moved into our Nashville house, she helped me unpack, shredding the packing paper to bits so it was easier to dispose. ;-)

She is a sweet dog, but she has had her problems due to her start in life. Unlike Decker, she is very nervous and will bark constantly when left alone. She inhales her food immediately, afraid, we think, that someone else will eat it. We are lucky that, at 13, she still is pretty healthy which, given the fact she's a puppy mill rescue, is a miracle. Her near-sightedness is starting to go, but she sees distanced objects fine.

Kasey is the centerpiece of the collage above, although Decker is on the left in the two-shot.

Happy Birthday, Kasita!