Our Five Ring Circus: Mister Pepito Bismol

Friday, August 13, 2010

Mister Pepito Bismol

I always feel like I'm neglecting my fur kids.

So I'd like to introduce you to Pepe, aka Mister Pepito Bismol, the biggest chihuahua in the world. It happens to be his 12th birthday today!

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I'm sad that I won't be with him today, but I've instructed his Papa to give him lots of treats and love!!!

Pepe was my first real dog. I had dogs growing up, but they were family pets. Pepe was all mine!

It was the fall of 1998. I had just graduated high school a few months earlier. I was all set to go away to college, and had a change of heart. I decided that I wanted to take a year off because I wasn't sure of my major, and was even less sure of the college I was planning to attend. I was accepted into quite a few, and I didn't think I made the right decision.

That year changed my life. If I had gone to college as planned, I wouldn't have gotten Pepe. I wouldn't have auditioned for a musical, and wouldn't have been cast as the female lead. I wouldn't have met Grant, who was the male lead. I wouldn't have married Grant and had two kids, who happen to be the greatest gifts I could ever imagine.

Okay, so back to Pepe.

My parents had been planning on buying everything I needed for my dorm and giving me some money as my graduation gift. Since I wasn't going, they asked what I wanted. I knew I wasn't going to get a new car (after all, I had my trusty family minivan!) so I asked for something I had always wanted. A chihuahua!

My parents agreed, and in November of 1998, my dad and I made the drive to Barkleysville (I'm so not kidding) to pick up my new pup!

When I first saw him, I was amazed at how tiny he was! He fit in the palm of my hand! His diet consisted of a tablespoon of rice baby cereal and a tablespoon of canned puppy food. What was even more amazing was the fact that something so tiny could smell so bad.

He was very nervous on the drive home, and pooped all over the place. It was freezing outside, but we drove home with the windows wide open!

Pepe and I quickly became inseparable. He came to the stable with me every day, and sat in a tiny basket while I groomed my horse. He was my buddy!

When he was a little over a year old, we decided to have him neutered. He ended up going from tiny to overweight in a matter of weeks. He's been chubby ever since!

Pepe is starting to slow down. He's getting old and lazy, is grumpy and doesn't like the kids, and is showing signs of health problems. He adores me, and I feel so bad that I don't dote on him like I once did.

I pet him when I pass him, in the hopes that he'll know that I still love him. Very much.

Happy 12th Birthday, old man!!!

8 comments:

  1. Awhhh he's adorable...Happy Birthday Pepe! =)

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  2. Look at that chubby puppy! He's adorable.

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  3. He sure is one big pup!!! But one cute one at that! Hope he had a treat filled birthday!

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  4. It's hard to pay the same attention to our pets when we have babies. I remember when I had Graham I felt so bad that I couldn't dote on my 20 yr old cat as much. He would some to the couch and want to get picked up and I would have to ignore him since there was a kid attached to my boob!

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  5. what a cute story! how a dog helped change the course of your life!

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  6. Cute doggie! I had a dog like that too. He did not love sharing me when I got married and especially when I had Lily! He snapped at her a few times. He was old though and didn't have sharp teeth. I'm trying to talk my hubby in to getting a dog!

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  7. awwww sweet! happy birthday to that cutie! love the story sissy :)

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  8. I love the name! Happy Birthday, Pepe!!

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