My husband and I brought in a toy poodle from a neglected home back in 2002 when we finally moved into our house. Richy was all we knew. He was our little sidekick and more of a human-like lap dog. He passed away in July of 2012. It was the hardest thing that we’ve experienced together … the lost of our first baby. I’d told myself that I can never go through that pain again, but then that Fall I’d felt like there was a hole in my life. So I started to do some research on Petfinder.com and AdoptaPet.com and hadn’t realized how many rescues were out there! I knew I wanted a poodle mix because I’m allergic to dogs and just love and know the breed well. After some searching, I saw this courtesy post for a black poodle mix and couldn’t quite tell in the photo, but reached out. The foster mom texted me good photos we went over to meet him. Nixon had a rough life. Julia had found him and his sister at the park, abandoned, and brought them home. The sister had escaped from their yard and they never found her. Nixon had gone home with a co-worker, but then she gave him back because she realized she couldn’t handle 2 dogs. Then we adopted him!

Nixon was our new side kick! I brought him to the shop with me every day and we took him places. Nixon was a true dog that needed training and lots of attention. He’s super smart like a poodle and stubborn like a terrier, which was new to us. He’s a cuddle bug and is very attached to me. He needs the most attention.

Bringing Nixon into our lives, made me much more aware of rescue work and has taught me that there are so many different types of personalities out there. Each dog is unique and will be cared for on individual levels. You just need to show them a schedule, lots of love, and exercise and they show you unconditional love! What more do you need?!

This is Nixon and my story. What’s yours?

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