How Buster my Chihuahua Charmed my Heart

by Rita Fatheree

(Albuquerque, NM, USA)

Buster my Chihuahua in May 2010

After the death of a beloved dog I spent a year mourning the loss and yearning for companionship. I had moved into a small apartment and needed a small dog, no longer would another Rottweiler do.

I started looking online at animal shelter and rescue dog websites. And that's when I came across the Albuquerque Humane Society website and found the companion I needed. I called to inquire of this particular Chihuahua and wondered out loud as to why no one had bothered to adopt him.

I was told he had been adopted before but brought back in a month because he could not be house trained. Hmmm, I thought this may not be the dog for me and thanked the society for their information.

I looked at other breeds over the next two weeks, but, there was something about the chihuahua that continued to tug at my heart. How could he be untrainable? What was the real reason for being brought back to the Humane Society? Do I have the patience to train this dog or any other dog?

Finally, I gave in and revisited the Humane website and he was still featured!! I took this as a sign this lil guy was meant for me and drove to the adoption clinic to see him in person. Oh how small, how frightened and how the longing in his eyes made me fall in love at that moment.

Holding him he nestled into the crook of my arm as if he finally found a safe place. I adopted him that day, brought him home and we have been inseparable since.

He has brought joy, laughter and affection into my life and I can only hope I have done the same for him. It will be two years in May since I first brought Buster home with me and I cannot imagine my life without him.

He loves to snuggle, burrow in a blanket and at night insists on sleeping under the covers. If Buster wakes before me he will pull the covers off of me to get me up to feed him breakfast. I did house train him and now he will sit near the door to tell me he needs to go outside.

He rarely barks, is extremely protective of me and has almost become an appendage to my side. When Buster looks into my eyes I see love; unconditional and neverending and I like that.