When I was a puppy all I wanted was love and affection. I tried really hard to be deserving of that, but I guess I wasn’t successful. In fact, I must have been a bad pup because no one wanted to give me the affection I so badly wanted. I can’t remember how it happened, but I remember walking for miles looking for my owners after they deserted me. I remember walking into a yard that looked like home, but it wasn’t. The people who lived there decided to take me in, but they couldn’t keep me in their house so they made me live in the dark place. They called it the garage but to me it felt like my punishment for being bad.

They would visit me every now and again, but it was just to give me food. Every time they would come in I would try to be on my best behavior because, maybe this time they’ll see that I actually am a good girl and they’d learn to love me. But it just never happened. It made me really sad to be in the cold place all alone with no one to rub my belly or hug me.

I didn’t want to lose hope but it started to feel very dark where I was. The loneliness made everything feel hopeless. Days felt like weeks, and weeks felt like an eternity. Maybe I just wasn’t deserving of the love and affection I craved since I was a puppy.

I don’t know exactly how long I was kept on that chain in the cold place, but it seemed like forever. And then one day I heard voices outside. They were warm and friendly and I could hear them coming in my direction. I waited in anticipation… and then they walked into the garage. Humans who had come to visit me! I was so happy that my tail would not stop wagging. I tried to make it stop because what if that’s the sign of a bad dog? But then the lady started petting me and calling me a good girl. I couldn’t believe it! They thought I was a good girl and they were giving me attention and love. It felt amazing and I felt like that was the best day of my life.

But I became sad again when I realized that they would have to leave at some point and that I would be all alone again. That didn’t happen though, because those wonderful humans took me off the chain and before I knew it I was in the car with them; taking a ride. It was my freedom ride!

They took such good care of me and gave me so much love. For the first time I knew what happiness felt like. For so many years no one cared enough to take care of me and finally I had someone who made sure that I was okay. They took me to the doctor and although they said all these scary words like cancer, growth and surgery, I knew that I would be taken care of. Even when I woke up after my surgery, they were all still there and they didn’t think that I was a burden!

But then they told me that someone was going to come meet me and that this someone might become my forever family. I wasn’t sure what that meant but I knew it couldn’t be a bad thing. Forever family… it sounded like something out of a fairytale.

Soon after the lady came to meet me we went for another car ride, this time to her house. She told me in the car that I was going to my forever home and that made me excited. When we arrived I was a little nervous, but this sweet lady made me feel right at home. And the best part is that there were so many soft beds to choose from! I didn’t have to sleep on a cold floor anymore!

Now they call me Princess Lola and I really am living my happily ever after!