"Even the tiniest poodle is lionhearted, ready to do anything to defend home, master, and mistress." ~ Louis Sabin, American author of children's and young adult books ~

As a young woman, I was into dog rescue and fostered many dogs for short periods of time. I wanted a dog of my own, but until I married my ex-husband, Bobbie Gilcrease, I didn't feel it was fair to have even a small dog in an apartment. I thought, no matter how small the dog, he would need a back yard.
FancyBoy was my first dog and my first pet as an adult. He was given to me as a gift for my twenty-second birthday by Bobbie. Fancy was a white teacup poodle with apricot ears. We actually rescued him from a backyard breeder in Shreveport, Louisiana. It was another five years before I was instrumental in getting the breeder shut down.
When he was three months old, I took him to Red River Obedience Training Club, the only AKC recognized obedience club in the Shreveport/Bossier City area. Oh man, how everyone laughed at this teeny-tiny little dog coming to obedience school. He showed them - he finished second in the class. I still have his little red ribbon, though it is terribly discolored.
Fancy was full of life. He would run and run through-out the house in mad pursuit of his imaginary demons at least twice a day. His favorite toy was a little squeaky Jerry mouse (as in Tom and Jerry fame). He would pick it up in his mouth and throw it high into the air, sometimes hitting the ceiling. He had two identical ones - the first one lost for nearly a year, so I had to purchase him another. I searched and searched for it, even accusing my ex of hiding it from Fancy. Then one day in my spring cleaning, I found it sitting perched on the traverse rods of the living room drapes where he'd thrown it.
He loved raw steak; when I did a thorough cleaning of the house, I would find tiny dried bits of steak tucked under heavy pieces of furniture and under beds. He was forever hiding left-over food.
When Fancy was just shy of his fifth birthday, he was diagnosed with epilepsy. His epileptic seizures were violent, usually causing him to pass out for minutes at a time.
He was so tiny (his max weight was only two and a half pounds) that I took him to work with me for two years before he was discovered much to the astonishment of my boss and co-workers. He continued to go to work with me for years. He went to Mass with me, to the grocery - everywhere a dog shouldn't go, but he would stay tucked into my purse and never make a whimper.
After a few years my marriage fell apart and Fancy and I were on our own. For three months I was temporarily employed in Houston, Texas through my Shreveport-based employer. While there I found a little black toy poodle being chased by some small boys. They weren't trying to hurt him - the little dog was terrified because the boys were trying to pull out a yard long rose bramble that was deeply tangled into his coat. I scooped him up and found an after hours groomer who shaved the tightly embedded bramble out. I was unsuccessful in locating his guardian and named him JoJo. A month later, he was a gorgeous little man. He and Fancy became inseparable.
Ten years almost to the month of him coming into my life, Fancy became ill. He just couldn't get better after weeks of vet care. Broken-hearted, it seemed that euthanasia would be the kindest and most humane thing I could do for my darling little boy. On Good Friday, April 10, 1983 I let him slip to the Rainbow Bridge. Nearly thirty years later, I still miss him deeply and think of him often. ❤

No More Tears
The time has come for the tears to end
for you to be happy and cheerful again.
I am safe in God's home above
cradled in His arms; covered with His love.
We run and play by the Bridge all day
waiting for the day when you'll be here to stay.
You've been crying so much I feel bad
I want you to be happy and not so sad.
Remember the time when I was so small
I couldn't even pickup the rubber ball.
I fought that ball from morning to night
it made you laugh, I was quite a sight.
Remember teaching me sit and stay
we had such fun since I didn't really obey,
but you kept at it with test after test
so when I entered my first show I was the best.
Remember the great times we had in the past
like when we walked to the park we had a blast.
We'd run and play all through the park
until the sun went down and it got dark.
Remember the times we went for a ride
I was so excited I'd jump right inside.
Away we went to who knows where
but you and I we didn't really care.
I'll always love you, you're my best friend
I'll be right with you even to the end.
Always remember the great times we had
and there will be no reason to ever be sad.
Author: John Quealy