It was a chilly day in January when a big bundle of warmth and joy danced into our lives. Happy is a 5-year-old Shih Tzu who is so ding-dang adorable that he leaves smiles and laughter in his wake wherever he goes. He was rescued from an abusive home by a local woman, but a change in her living situation necessitated the re-homing of several of her dogs. When she contacted the sanctuary, she spoke with utter confidence and conviction that The Lily Pond would be the perfect home for this special needs boy. It turns out she was right! She had taken ownership of Happy 18 months ago after he sustained a trauma to the head due to abuse by his previous owner. The trauma left him with a neurological issue that affects his balance and motor skills. But Happy doesn’t let that slow him down in the least! He merrily hops and bounces around, dancing his way through life and into people’s hearts – especially ours!
It didn’t take long for Happy to integrate into our pack. He absolutely adores Tig and follows him everywhere. Unfortunately, Tig does not reciprocate Happy’s devotion but merely tolerates his hyper hippity-hoppity presence. Tig is a senior fellow and cannot be bothered with overly bouncy young whipper-snappers who try to kiss him. Brodie thinks Happy is A-OK, unless Happy decides to pay him a friendly visit in his crate. Brodie loves his crate – it’s where he feels safe and secure and he is not used to entertaining visitors. Happy’s invasion will typically result in sideways glances from Brodie and pleading looks for us to restore the sanctity of his space by removing the unwanted visitor. Now Dolly – she is Happy’s new bestie. They snuggle together on the sofa every night. It is real entertainment to watch them together, because Happy often crashes into Dolly due to his issues with balance. That’s no problem for Dolly, for whom gravity has no influence. Dolly simply springs straight up into the air, landing gracefully on the other side of Happy. They can navigate a whole room with this dance!
Happy also has an important job. He spends the day in the office at Sienna Sky Pet Cremation Services and helps comfort our clients who arrive with their beloved pets who have crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Happy’s Ewok-like cuteness and bouncy greetings frequently bring smiles to those who are deeply grieving the loss of their beloved pet. We feel that this is truly Happy’s purpose on the planet: to bring comfort, joy, and smiles to all who are fortunate enough to be presence of this wise and caring soul.
Brodie looks askance at the unexpected visitor in his crate 
Happy is our new champion of #tongueouttuesday on Instagram 
Snuggle buddies Dolly and Happy staying warm
