Winnie came to us in the most unconventional way, by plane. By plane? That doesn’t seem unconventional. Thousands of travelers use planes every day. The skies are filled with jets whose presence is mostly taken for granted. Planes that twinkle like stars in the night sky or by day leave lines of vapor trails in their wakes. But Winnie’s trip to us was most unusual not because she was on a plane but because she was a dog. At the tender age of 8 weeks, Winnie was whisked high above the mountains, valleys and plains from Texas to California to begin her life with us. Ripped away from her litter mates in the middle of the night, packed safely in a crate with water and instructions, a tiny 5 pound puppy couldn't have imagined what was happening.
I had chosen Winnie from a 20 second video the breeder had sent to me, she was the puppy in the back of the pack of six little bundles pushing and falling over each other for attention. I had said I wanted the runt of the litter, the smaller one with the mellow personality. The breeder sent still shots of the puppy she thought I was describing and I am certain still she got the one I chose. When the Cargo and Freight staff member at the airport handed us the crate, and Mike and I with trepidation opened the front, nothing had prepared us for who we saw. There were no wings on the angel who had just flown in from Texas, but her sweet eyes that were curious and bold and only a little frightened held us mesmerized casting a spell we remain under to this day.
That was almost five years ago now but I honestly can't remember a life without Winnie in it.
With this blog I would like to share with you the joys and happiness Winnie has brought us. I will also share our current adventure, the most recent, Winnie’s career as an award and ribbon and title winning sniffing dog.
