Adorable Adriel

The second fur baby to come into my life was Adriel (formerly Petra). My husband and I were living in an apartment at the time and noticed that Theo was just laying around on the furniture. He was not sick (he was still eating like a horse). I soon figured out the problem. He was lonely!

So, the search began to find Theo a friend to play with. I headed back to www.petfinder.com. I decided that I definitely wanted another Chihuahua. That is when I found Petra. She was so cute and tiny. I fell in love instantly.

I showed the pictures of her to my husband. He said, “She’s cute.” I eagerly filled out the adoption application and waited nervously for the response. To my dismay, the woman fostering Petra was concerned that we did not have a fenced in back yard. I explained that we were living next to a huge park where Petra would be walked several times a day.

The e-mail came back: I could adopt her that following Saturday! Unfortunately, my husband had to work so, I recruited a friend to go with me. I couldn’t believe it! I was so excited! I raced into the Petsmart where the St. Louis Senior Dog Project was hosting an adoption day.

To my dismay, there were several rescue organizations setting up. I ran from group to group asking if they had Petra. As I began to panic, I saw another group just walking in the door. Sure enough, they had Petra. It was love at first sight! The woman placed her in my arms and I melted.

Then, I noticed something. Petra’s tongue was sticking out. I had noticed this in her pictures but just figured that the person taking the pictures always managed to capture her mid-lick. As it turns out, her tongue is longer than her head! It is a birth defect, but a super cute one.

When my husband came home he said, “THAT’S the dog you had to have?” He was not impressed. Even my mom thought she was…different. But, I knew that she was a sweet pea and that they would eventually fall in love with her as I did. Soon, my husband changed her name to Adriel. I had wanted Angel but he claimed that was “too normal.”

Theo wanted nothing to do with her at first. Gradually, he took to sniffing her. Then he would eat beside her. And then, it happened. One night, he actually began chasing her around the apartment! Success! Since then, he had guarded her everywhere that we go.

And Adriel came out of her shell after much work and patience. She is the most laid back dog that you will ever meet. Plus, she never barks. She can, she just chooses not to! It is because of her laid back demeanor that my husband and I trained her to become a therapy dog.

She is an official Canine Good Citizen with the AKC and a Certified Therapy Dog through Therapy Dogs International. Adriel has brought joy to hospice patients, nursing home residents and even kids clubs in our area. Everyone just loves to see her…and the tongue!