I went to the animal shelters that day with a mission: to find a very small dog to take home and love. I already had 2 dogs but wanted a really small one. Off I went to see what I could find. I went to three shelters and, at the last one, saw a tiny, cream colored ball of fur huddled in the farthest corner of the very first cage. She just stared at me and refused to move closer. I knew that was the dog for me. She had a deformed left front leg and a crooked muzzle. I made my husband put down a deposit and then had to wait 4 stress filled days to see if I could take her home. That day came, and she joined our family. She was scared silly when she got a look at our huge black Bouvier, Bear. ( "Ack! King Kong IS real!!") He was also from a shelter, found running free and also unwanted. WELL - she was christened "Dixie", and life was never quite the same afterwards....Dixie found herself - and her voice - and spent the following 11 years being bossy, bullying, crabby, loud, demanding, downright annoying and showing jealousy whenever anyone got too close to me. I was the center of her days and couldn't even go to the toilet alone - Dixie would hurl herself against the door and scream until I opened the door. A closed door, in her mind, equalled me vanishing into thin air. All this guff from a 4 lb dog. Our poor Bouvier,sometimes getting too close to Dixie at the wrong time, nearly lost the end of his nose more than once. he never had a mean bone in his body. He loved Dixie, all the same. He died some seven years ago, and Dixie grieved. And so did I. Now my Dixie is gone, on the afternoon of March 20, 2004. Suddenly and somewhat unexpectedly. I live alone these days with the company of my 14 year old dog, Daisy, a parakeet and a rabbit. The house is very quiet. Daisy knows something is wrong and has already looked for her "sister". Dixie and I loved each other equally. She also touched the lives of many of my friends, who sometimes couldn't quite believe anyone in their right mind would want to own such a dog. I didn't own her - I shared my life with her. I wouldn't have dreamed of ever trying to change her. She was my special girl. Crooked leg, bent muzzle and big mouth. All mine. I love you, Dixie.