My Best Friend, Mason

I had always wanted a dog of my own. Not a family dog, one that was 100% mine in every way. In 2006, I finally had my chance. 
 
I had dreamed of owning a big dog, but was living in Brighton. The winters in the city with no dog park in my neighborhood were a daunting thought. How on earth would I exercise a big dog in the winter? Icy sidewalks, whiteouts, snow piles, hail, who knows! I just wasn't up for it. At the time, however, I was anti little dog. All I knew was Paris Hilton types with their cashmere clad Chihuahuas stuffed in their purses like accessories. I couldn't imagine. I thought little dogs were yippy and obnoxious. I made fun of them whenever I saw the chance. But it finally hit me. You want a dog? You want a dog that will want to stay in during the cold weather just as badly as you do? Well, it looks like you're going with the toy group. I did my research. What small breeds are on the quieter side? Best suited for apartments? Loving? Loyal? A one owner dog? All signs pointed to the Yorkshire Terrier.

Thinking back on how I came to have Mason, my amazing little dog, still makes me cringe. Knowing what I know now about shelters and puppy mills and whatever atrocious situations animals find themselves in, if I could go back in time, I would never have gotten a puppy from the internet. Who KNOWS who my payment was supporting. Who knows what conditions Mason's mama was living in when she gave birth... or how many litters she was forced to have in her life. Her name was Sophie, and I hope she is alright. Puppyfind.com was the website that I used to find my little nugget. I am fairly certain that nearly all of the dogs on this website are from either puppy mills or horrendous money grubbing backyard breeders. But I wanted my puppy, and I was going to have him! 


Mason plus his flight from Arkansas would cost me $750. Having Mason has been a priceless gift. I picked Mason up from a Logan Airport cargo building in the fall of 2006. He was about 9 weeks old. He weighed 2 lbs. He had come in a crate all by himself in the cargo hold of the airplane. This I cannot even FATHOM now. When they finally called my name and placed the teeny crate on the counter, I saw him and burst into tears. The attendant looked concerned and asked, "is he not what you wanted?" "No", I said, "it's just that he's perfect." Upon closer inspection, little baby Mason had made an absolute bathroom of his little crate. He had done everything possible in there, and it was EVERYWHERE. I hoped my mom would clean him off, but she very quickly reminded me that he was MY dog, just as I wanted. This filthy little pup was now MY problem. YUCK! Into the bathroom we went. Once he was clean, we took Mason outside and sat with him in the grass. And the rest is history. 

Mason has been with me through thick and thin, and he proves that dogs really are our best friends. His little face can melt my heart or bring me joy. His little stumpy tail wagging can bring me out of any mood. He is my little bundle of joy. And he has saved me so many times. From self doubt. From sadness. From making decisions that would have kept me from him for too long! He is for sure my best boy. Mason turned 5 this summer, and I can't stand it. The one truth about owning a pet is that they will pretty much always break your heart. It's rare that they outlive us, and losing them is just one of the worst and most painful experiences you can have in your life. Every year that he gets older I get sicker and sicker thinking about losing him. I can't imagine my life without him. Sitting here now, I have tears in my eyes just writing about it. We need to treasure every moment that we get to spend with our little fur babies and never take it for granted!

With all that said, and having spelled out how much I love my baby boy, I would like to say that I am glad I have become more educated about puppy mills, breeders, and everything that is going on within the shelter system, both publicly and privately. I would never buy a dog from the internet again, as you cannot meet the puppies, the parents, the breeders, or have access to other people who have bought from the breeder previously as references. In fact, I will never go to a breeder again. Period. Statistically in this country, a staggering number of dogs in shelters RIGHT NOW are purebred. People buy a puppy of a certain breed because of what they are told of their temperament, and the animal may not "live up to" these high standards due to poor breeder or illness. People are losing their homes. People get sick of their dogs when they are no longer puppies. Whatever the circumstances. I hope, despite my purchase from a mystery breeder 5 years ago, that I can influence people around me to consider using resources like Petfinder.com or Adoptapet.com, even their local shelters and rescues and Humane Societies. Whatever breed you are looking for, please check these resources for them. I'll bet you'll find exactly what you wanted, and you'll be giving a dog a home that has been to hell and back. My past decisions may not set the best example, but I will strive to do so with everything I do moving forward. This includes fighting for the lives and rights of shelter dogs every chance I get.