A Match Made in Doggy Heaven

January 7, 2023, was the day our 13-year-old dog S’mores became an angel.

I remember it like it was yesterday. My neighbors’ dogs were set to have puppies in the late summer of 2009 and they encouraged the whole street to come visit once the newborns had arrived. My siblings and I had been asking our mom for a dog for what seemed like forever, and we finally caught our break.

The four of us walked into our neighbors’ living room to a large laundry basket full of at least 10 puppies jumping, whimpering, or sleeping together. As seven-year-olds, this was the most important decision of our lives up until that point. Our mom told us that we all had to collectively decide on one puppy.

(That’s me above, with S’mores on the left and Daffodil on the right!)

First, my brother and I walked up to the laundry basket to make our decision. As we began evaluating each puppy for the grand prize of being the new Higgins family member, a small white and brown puppy with big brown eyes stood out amongst the rest. S’mores pushed and shoved through the sea of puppies as they parted for her to make her audition. Going into this harrowing decision, my brother and I were insistent on picking out a boy puppy, but we could not resist.

Full of energy, she immediately attempted to jump out of the laundry basket to meet my brother and I. We reached in to pet her and began hoping that the others would agree. My sister and mom were next in line to begin their search, while my brother and I left the crowded living room. About five minutes later, my mom and sister came out with a conclusive and completely independent decision. “We love the one with the big brown eyes”, said my mom as my sister nodded in agreement. It could not have been an easier decision. S’mores chose us just as much as we chose her.

My fondest memories of S’mores were her love for cheese, her warm and dramatic embrace once we had returned from vacation, her innate ability to understand when any of us were feeling down, how she would run around the house trying to dry off after her least favorite activity of getting a bath, and how she would get up on her hind legs whenever she would see a bunny in the distance.

S’mores has had many brothers and sisters over the years, including a maltese rescue named Daffodil, who also sadly passed away, a Chihuahua puppy named Brody, another Chihuahua named Chica and the newest addition to our family, a Chi-Heeler named Lily. While S’mores may no longer be with us and available to watch this year’s National Dog Show on Thanksgiving Day, Lily and Chica will gladly spectate along with the family. Chica has a history of being an avid television watcher! (see image below)

It’s amazing the journey we take with our dogs and Thanksgiving with The National Dog Show is always a touch point.

While we will be missing a huge part of our family this November, we will surely be reminded of just how much value dogs have in our lives, as we all watch the two-hour special on NBC.

I am extremely excited to watch this year because of my summer internship with Vizion Group PR. I now have a grasp on how much preparation goes into the event and how popular it has become over the years. So, join Lily, Chica, my family and me and let’s see who wins Best In Show for 2023!