Annie (formerly Snowball) is supposedly a dog, though she more closely resembles an impossibly cute combination of possum and pig. I’ve always wanted a dog of my own and had very little idea of what I was looking for; I just knew that I would find my perfect furry match out in the universe. One morning, I saw Annie’s picture online- her giant ears and permanent smile immediately charmed me and I couldn’t imagine a life without this little gremlin. Almost immediately after I applied, Bideawee staff reached out to me and scheduled a meeting. I couldn’t believe that I might come home with a dog just forty-eight hours later. My partner and I drove out to Wantagh and out strutted the smallest, silliest sausage I had ever seen and it was love at first sight. I knew that she was my dog and that I was her person.
Annie adjusted almost immediately to her new home in Brooklyn. As soon as we got home, she ran and jumped in her dog bed, as if she’d been doing it forever. The fur on her ears started to grow back, covering some stress-induced bald patches with the cutest little brown polka dots you’ve ever seen. After a few weeks of nervously waddling down the Brooklyn sidewalks (and, on a few occasions, just refusing to walk at all), Annie became a social butterfly in our neighborhood, making friends with dogs and humans alike on our walks. She still waddles down the street, but I’ve come to realize that she just simply prefers to meander- she’s in no rush.
Annie is more than I ever could have hoped for in a dog. She is sweeter, more loving, and goofier than any dog I’ve ever met. Annie doesn’t understand toys as anything more than extra pillows for her to sleep on, but she loves playing peek-a-boo with her blanket (which the lovely Bideawee team gave us) and hide-and-seek in the park. Annie’s favorite things are morning walks to the neighborhood bakery, snuggles, and belly rubs (she will stop, drop, and request a belly scratch at any time). More than anything, Annie loves her new home; she’s staring directly at me as I write this, and I am constantly reminded of how lucky we are to have found each other. I am forever grateful to the Bideawee team (shout-out to Benjamin!) for all of their hard work and for giving me the chance to welcome Annie into my heart. Thank you, Bideawee!