Meet Morty, the newest member of our family.

            Morty is special for several reasons. For starters, he came into my life shortly after my precious 14-year-old Chihuahua Goldie died. I miss her terribly. I miss her snuggling under my arm when I meditate in the morning; her sleeping in her little bed next to my desk as I write, her demanding barking before meals; and her soft, little fawn body on my lap when we watch TV in the evenings.

            My grief took me to the rescue website where I originally found  her. I’d hoped to find another Goldie, but instead my eyes landed on a Puggle (Pug/Beagle mix) named Morty. He had belonged to my dear friend Laura, who founded the rescue.

After adopting Goldie in 2017 I started volunteering for Laura: doing doggy data entry and fundraising. I adored her. She had a big heart and had rescued hundreds of dogs over the years. We did a fundraising event together at the Rose Bowl in October 2024, and she died one month later. Up until then she’d battled pancreatic cancer with such optimism, I secretly believed she’d survive. She didn’t. I felt shocked and profoundly sad.

As soon as I saw the photo of Morty on their website I emailed the woman who now ran the rescue. She confirmed that Morty had been Laura’s, and encouraged me to adopt this “WONDERFUL DOG.” We set up a time for Laura’s husband to bring him to our home to meet my husband Don and our other dog Teddy.

The meeting went very smoothly. Morty immediately invited Teddy to play, then enthusiastically jumped up and kissed both Don and me. He ran around the yard with remarkable grace at lightning speed. His youthful energy made me smile and I knew we were meant to have him. It’s an honor to care for a dog that Laura loved so much. When I look at Morty I think of her and hope she knows how happy he makes me.