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GRACIE'S STORY
I was born in Sunny California on a cold December
day. Well, when I lived in California, I thought it was a cold day but
have you ever been to Ohio in December? On my first birthday the snow
was deeper than I was high! Now I have heard of places colder but I
can't imagine any Papillon's live in these places, how would they get
around, we are quite small you know. Anyway, back to my birth date, it
was a cold December day when I was born but when I came out the room lit
with a glow. "Oh My." I heard, "What a special little puppy." Okay,
okay, so I know they call all kids with disabilities special but a girl
can have her claim to fame, can't she? "Special " for me, means Cerebral
Palsy. I didn't know what it was called back then but since coming
to 4 Paws I have met other kids who have CP and some of them have arms
that are curled up like mine. Really though, I have never considered
myself disabled. I don't believe in the word. I think they should find a
new word for use when we are born a little different than the "norm".
Having only three legs that worked has never stopped me from anything,
in fact it has made some things easier. For example, my sister, Piper,
when she wants up on the furniture she has to jump up. When I want on
the furniture I just look at Karen and she puts down everything she is
doing and picks me up and puts me up there. Really, the most effort I
have to put into it is a small bark if she is really busy and there she
is to help me up. If you need some training tips for your human family,
I am open for business because I have the humans in my world right where
I want them. Sometimes for fun, I stare at Karen until she asks me what
I want and I put my foot on the stool so she knows I want up on the
stool, as opposed to needing a drink of water or a walk outside, and
then the fun begins. I wait as she rearranges her work and puts things
aside to pick me up and then just as she reaches for me, I back right
up! Okay, you know humans are not too bright. Not wanting to get all
settled again and me ask to get up she tries to coach me to her, of
course I lay down just out of reach. Once she gets back to work, there I
am again, barking to get her attention. It is so much fun and definitely
not something, Piper, my typically developed sister could get away with!
    
I lived the first eight weeks of my life in
California with my first Mom. Karen, who has been my Mom every since
calls her my breeder. I guess that is how the new Moms refer to our
first Moms because they like to feel we are their baby only. Humans are
funny like that, sort of possessive. Oh, well I guess some of us
Papillon's can also be that way. Piper refuses to share her stuff
with anyone. You know I am not like that. Well, unless you look at my
bone, or my food, or a treat, or the toy that I got on my birthday but
that is different. My first Mom, her name is Sue Fourmet and she is a
great lady. She took really good care of us. My dog Mom is Holly and she
had quadruplets, Piper and I have two brothers who live in other homes.
I am proud to say that I am the only "special" puppy so the others have
to settle for ordinary. Well, Piper fancies herself a beauty queen, I am
sure she will tell you all about it on her page. Me, I prefer my brains
to beauty any day though people find me exceptionally cute to boot.
Every day, Sue would look at me and wonder what she was going to do
about finding me a home. She looked on the Internet, trying to find
somewhere for me to go, I wasn't sure about it all then though the other Papillons in the house told us we would not live there with them, that
the pups usually are sent out to homes of their own when they were 8
weeks old. One day I saw that she was very excited and she picked me up
and told me she had found the perfect place. I didn't understand what 4
Paws For Ability was or what a therapy dog did but she was sure that was
the job for me and I guess 4 Paws thought I might make a good therapy
dog also because they said I could come and join their program.
I arrived at 4 Paws late one February night by air
flight. It was Karen who picked me up at the airport. When she came in I
sort of felt she was not very impressed with me but that was before she
took me out of the crate. In fact, I remember her saying to me, "Now
what am I going to do with a little, tiny three legged puppy." However,
you know I am irresistible, the minute she picked me up and looked into
my cute little face it was all over! Less than a week went by before she
was trying to find a way to keep me, something about my belonging to 4
Paws was the issue at hand. When I was 10 weeks old, I went to my first
4 Paws meeting and a little girl named Hailey was there. Her mom thought
she was somewhat afraid of dogs and she had a sensory integration
disorder which is why they thought a dog could help. Hailey took to me
right away, okay - come on, who could possibly resist cute little me?
Before a few minutes had past we were fast friends and as Karen watched
us a plan started to form in her mind. I could be the 4 Paws mascot. I
could help kids get used to dogs, since I had a gift for this at the
time, and I could go with Karen to talk to kids and other people about
disabilities. A quick call to California since I was sent to 4 Paws for
therapy dog work and a confirmation from Sue that it was fine if I
accepted a position at 4 Paws on their team and my fate was sealed.
That is how I got my start at 4 Paws. Today I go to schools and other
places. The kids think I am so cute and so cool. It is funny that
they find me cool just because I function so well with only three legs
yet many times their human peers, kids with disabilities of various
natures are ignored. I teach them to accept difference and find the
person behind the scene so to speak. It is a great job to do in my spare
time.
In my full time job with Pink Girlz, Inc. 4 Paws
Marketing is only one of the various hats I wear. I belong to the CIA
(Canine Intelligence Agency) and am always on call should the cats have
an uprising and try to take over the universe as we know it. I work in
the office Monday through Friday and am always ready to take my security
work seriously (Pink Girlz Security Services, Inc.), especially if it
involves guarding the bones and/or treats on the property. Piper, she
just takes everything she finds into our office (okay it is a really a
puppy playpen) but me, I will guard it where ever it might be. Of
course, we are available for hire, sometimes the other dogs hire me to
guard their crate while they are out in the yard since Nylabones are
allotted around here and replacements are hard to find. I would rank
Kongs as a close second. Sometimes I work as a distraction for the dogs
in training to make sure they know their stuff. This is an easy job
which involves walking through the room when they are in a stay and
teasing them by flaunting the fact that no one makes me do such mindless
tasks. I operate more efficiently as a search dog. I am able to sniff
out bits of food and/or treats anywhere! Well, that is the story of how
I came to 4 Paws. It is my story and I am sticking to it. Not that there
is anything wrong with that!
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