Mina was a silky haired terrier mix-a porch dog-that was rescued from Louisiana in an animal rescue caravan while we lived in Maine in 2007. We think she might have been a maltese mixed with possibly yorkie? She was a scrawny, approximately 18 months old when we got her. She was treated for heart worm and had very little fur when we got her, but as you can see in one of the pictures, it grew quite long if we didn't have her shaved in the style of a schnauzer. She was rescued along with her mother and a sister, but the mom and sister didn't survive their heart worm.
The day I got Mina, she arrived late afternoon in a van that brought a load of dogs and puppies from Louisiana. After watching all the different dogs come off the van and leave with their new humans, I was a bit disappointed when I saw Mina. She was the last dog off the van. She had very little fur, and very patchy at that. The woman who did the rescue thinks it was flea treatment. She was extremely timid and even showed me how scared she was by poo'ing in my hand as I carried her to my car. I had planned on driving directly to our camper at the campground over an hour away, but had to detour back to the house to do a bit of clean up from this little pooper.
So finally get on the road and get to the campground after dark, planning to spend the night getting the camper all set to bring it home for the winter. The very next morning, my husband took Mina out for a little walk, and oops!, dropped he leash and Mina took off! We spent the whole day looking for her and worried that she would get tangled with her leash in the woods and not be able to be found. Of course, it didn't help that she really didn't know us OR her name at this point! And keep in mind that this was the end of camping season and the campground was nearly empty, so no one that could keep an eye out for a runaway dog. Finally after supper, we had kind of given up, and started getting things put away to take the camper back home the next morning. I decided to give it one more try and went out looking around for Mina and was amazed to find her under the camper in the campsite just across from us! I got my husband and we managed to corral her and grab her leash. This would not be the last time she managed to pull the leash from our hand or her other trick of chewing through the cord on the leash and running away.
But, she was a good dog for the 14 years she owned our hearts. She loved soft toys, didn't care for hard toys, but had a special spiny, soft rubber squeaky ball that was her absolute favorite. She learned to love to fetch, and would race after that ball with all she had, but not too keen on giving the ball back! She was our fairly constant companion and was never away from us in those 14 years. Sometime after we moved to Tennessee, we got a couple of young cats, one of which became fascinated with Mina. Mina didn't seem to care one way or the other, but I sensed that it was kind of a companion for her. Tildy, the cat, adored Mina and was always rubbing up against her and running to see her if Mina was walking across the room. Tildy had been a rescue that was held at a dog grooming center and I think Tildy acted more like a dog than a cat. Maybe that's why she loved Mina. I have included one of the pictures of the two hanging together. I'm not sure if Tildy has really noticed that Mina is gone, but I did notice that Tildy was acting differently during the week Mina started getting sick, like she knew something was up.
Mina seemed to enjoy our camping trips in the motor home and traveled well with no complaints. She enjoyed all the walks that dad took her on around the different campgrounds, as well as back home on all the local walking trails. She learned to enjoy sticking her head out of the car window on the way home from some of their jaunts. I think my husband will miss his walking buddy the most, or sneaking little pieces of pizza crust to her on pizza night.

I will lend to you for awhile a puppy, God said.
For you to love while she lives, and mourn when she's dead.
Maybe for twelve or fourteen years, or maybe two or three.
But will you, 'till I call her back, take care of her for me?

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I Loved You Best

So this is where we part, My Friend,
and you'll run on, around the bend,
gone from sight, but not from mind,
new pleasures there you'll surely find.

I will go on, I'll find the strength,
life measures quality, not its length.
One long embrace before you leave,
share one last look, before I grieve.

There are others, that much is true,
but they be they, and they aren't you.
And I, fair, impartial, or so I thought,
will remember well all you've taught.

Your place I'll hold, you will be missed,
the fur I stroked, the nose I kissed.
And as you journey to your final rest,
take with you this...I loved you best.

by Jim Willis
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Special Sister Bahbutt

Special Sister Mocha