Kisses From Piper

by Adriana
(St. Louis, Missouri)

Piper is a part-Lab, part-Aussie mutt we adopted about a year ago from a wonderful no-kill shelter.

She'd been found walking around the city at three or four months old, and we stopped by the animal shelter hoping for a day of volunteer work when we saw her.

I was enchanted!

She was so beautiful. I'll admit, that's what attracted me at first. She didn't look anything like my vision of a perfect dog (I had been aiming for a White German Shepherd--looking back on it, my estimate was way off!). But her coat amazed me, and she looked younger than the rest of the old dogs at the shelter.

I asked to go inside her kennel, as she had been quarantined for being spayed the next day, and was greeted by the happiest soul I've ever met! Oh man, was I covered in kisses. Kisses everywhere. And that tail! It just kept wagging and wagging. It was a weapon waving about, waiting to take out your legs and lower you to her level for more kisses.

We took her home as soon as she had recovered from her operation.

When my parents divorced a few years ago, I was sure my family would be in disrepair for the rest of my life. With the addition of Piper, we're now as happy as can be. She brought the extra love to us that our family needed. She completes it each and every day.

And she still gives kisses! We never had to train her to do it, though she now kisses on command. As soon as you get down to her level it's a tongue to the face for you. She's as affectionate as could be. It's just what I needed at just the right time.

Piper sends kisses to everyone out on the internet who owns an Aussie, or in fact a dog of any kind. An Aussie completes a family. It's that simple.