Our journey to get my Lena was a little off the normal track. We applied with KPR in March and had our home visits in April. After our approval, we were just waiting for the "right" pug for us to come along. We got approved during a rare "dry spell" for KPR and were waiting (rather impatiently!) for the perfect puggie.

In May, our adoptions coordinator contacted me asking if we would be willing to foster a 12 year old girl that KPR was having a hard time finding a foster home for. Lena was surrendered to KPR by a lady named Jodi who runs an organization out of her home called Rescue Farm. Jodi told me that she rescued Lena from a shelter on the very day that the shelter was planning to euthanize her. Thank God Jodi was there. I cannot imagine my life without my little 'Glamma Pug'!

I picked Lena up on May 13 and, let me tell you, my life was changed in that instant. She was the itty-bittiest little thing and was so sweet. I drove an hour to pick her up and on the way home it was just the two of us. She sat in the front seat on a blanket and just stared at me the whole way home. It was hard driving! I just wanted to cuddle her and talk to her and let her know that the hard part of her life was OVER! She slept with me that first night and I just cuddled her and talked to her the whole time. We spent that whole first weekend together and have been inseparable since then! Lena and I clicked in a way that I cannot imagine ever happening again. I knew from the first moment I saw her that I would adopt Lena. There was never any doubt in my mind.

Lena is a senior pug that is deaf and toothless. Nonetheless, Lena does not feel that she has any handicaps at all! She is a lover but she will not hesitate to set another dog straight if she needs to! I still remember the first time that Lena really showed that she was happy to see me. I came in from work and she came over and ran in circles with her little tail just going crazy. I was so happy to know that she felt as strongly about me as I feel about her. I cannot imagine a better match of pug and mommy than Lena and me. I know a lot of people wouldn't even consider a senior dog, but our senior dog has been the best dog for us. Despite everything she has seen and been through in her 12 years, Lena has so much love to give. She loves to cuddle and even though she isn't motivated to run and rip and play all the time, she has brought so much to our home. Older pugs are complex and special creatures and I feel strongly that if more people knew the pure JOY of an older pug, there wouldn't be so many pugs in rescue. Words cannot describe the love I feel for that little girl and I hope that the story of me and Lena will inspire someone to take a second look at that senior puggie and realize that seniors have something very special to offer.

Lena is a special dog and I treasure every second that I have with her. It may sound cliche but, there will never ever be another dog like her. I will be forever in KPR's debt for bringing Lena and I together, and I will forever be indebted to Lena...she came to me at a time in my life when I really needed to see something miraculous. She is an angel sent straight from God to show me what I needed to see and I only hope that the love I will give her from the bottom of my heart every second of every day for the rest of her life will be enough to repay her.

I need to thank Amy Carpenter, William and Diane Lindsey, and Juli Kruszynski for giving me my Lena. I hope that you all understand what I am saying when I tell you that a million thank you's are not sufficient for the hand each of you had in bringing me and Lena together!

Chassity