Bunkin & Flea

It was about 3 months after my childhood dog had passed away when we saw Bunkin at Petco in Tallahassee. He was being showcased for adoption with several other dogs from a nearby shelter. Bunkin is a Heinz 57 mix who weighs about 20 pounds. I wasn't planning to get another dog yet, but my husband absolutely fell in love with Bunkin. He couldn't stop talking about him, so I felt compelled to go visit the shelter to get better acquainted with Bunkin. I made 3 trips to visit Bunkin at the shelter about 30 minutes away from my house and by then I knew I had fallen in love with him too. He was very timid, but so sweet and gentle. Once we had adopted Bunkin, it took several months for him to really let his guard down and become relaxed around us. I have no knowledge of his past whatsoever, but I do know that he is the most loving sweethearted creature I have ever met. He likes to play with most other dogs, but mainly he just adores people. He is just as content as can be to cuddle up on the couch with us and watch a movie. He also loves the outdoors and a good hiking adventure every now and then. Bunkin has brought so much love into our home; I can't imagine how he ended up at the shelter, but the important thing is that he now has a family to love him forever & for him to love in return.

2 years after adopting Bunkin, I came home from work one day to find that my husband had brought in a stray. He was out walking Bunkin around our apartment complex when a little Chihuahua mix apparently came out of the woods and followed Bunkin and my husband home. He was not friendly toward my husband, but he was very interested in Bunkin. He wasn't friendly toward me when I walked through the door, either. We decided to keep him after holding onto him for about a week. I named him Flea, not because he had any, but because I thought it was appropriate since he had clearly been living outside for a while. We had known we would eventually get a second dog, but our main impetus behind adopting Flea was that we knew he would have a very slim chance of getting adopted if we turned him in to the pound because of his poor behavior toward people. I don't know what Flea has been through in the past, but he sure did come with a whole lot of baggage. 9 months later, he is still very much a work in progress, but just like Bunkin he has worked his way into our little family. When we first found Flea, he wouldn't let either of us approach him without growling and snapping at us. These days, Flea is happy to snuggle up with us in bed and give lots and lots of kisses each morning. He even lets visitors pet him, which is a more recent development. To top it off, I have never seen such a Momma's Boy in my life. He's ridiculous. Flea has cost us much blood, sweat, and tears since we took him in, but he also gives us constant entertainment and affection. I had a friend ask me once if I had ever considered "getting rid" of Flea because he was so difficult. I told her that to me, dogs are permanent family members, not disposable commodities. I wouldn't trade Flea for anything in the world.

I had never had a rescue dog before Bunkin. After have one very easy rescue experience (Bunkin) and one very difficult rescue (Flea), I am able to say that anything is possible with love and patience. My heart belongs to homeless pets because they taught me this priceless lesson.