Abby (forever name Lizzie)

Abby was 7 months old when we pulled her from a local shelter and we were not at all surprised to find that she was not spayed and had kennel cough. Still, she was a happy puppy with the boundless energy you would expect (for a girl her age) and so sweet that she got along well with everyone and everything (despite not having any obvious obedience training). The Pataska Family, who had adopted Sunny Saint “Bella” earlier in the year, had been expressing interest in adopting another Saint to keep Bella company and when they saw Abby it was love at first sight! Abby has officially been adopted by Jeanne and Steve Pataska (and Bella) and has been renamed “Lizzie.”  As you will see by her pictures Lizzie and Bella are loving life together as part of the Pataska Family and we all couldn’t be happier for them!

Update: January 9, 2012

Thanks again to the Sunny Saints family for knowing the age and personality of a dog that would be good with Bella. Thanks to Elizabeth for the time and effort you put into her for the short time you had her. Both these pups are a joy to have. Steve and I are laughing at them constantly.

-Jeanne & Steve Pataska

Update: December 21, 2012

Dear Sunny Saints,

Hello wonderful Rescue Angels. It’s Lizzie (formally Abby), the Duchess of the Pataska house, wanting to thank all of the Sunny Saints volunteers for finding my forever home for me. Mom told me that it’s my birthday today. I have been here a year already so I thought I would catch you up on how I’m doing.

When my mom and dad picked me up at my foster mom Elizabeth’s house I was kind of confused and a little bit scared. I loved Elizabeth; she spoiled me and gave me scrambled eggs every day. Mom and Dad took me to Temecula and told me I was going to meet my sister Bella. I didn’t know what a sister or a Bella was but I found out as soon as we got to my new house. Bella was a dog who looked a lot like me and in no uncertain terms let me know that she was the Princess and there was no room for both of us. Our first four days were a bit tense. Bella didn’t like me so I just growled at her because I didn’t like her a whole lot either. Then I heard my new mom telling someone named Kim about my growling and she told my mom to tap me on the nose when I did that. I decided that I didn’t like this Kim person either. have you ever been tapped on your nose? It is not fun!  Just to let you know I changed my mind about both Bella and Kim. I now know that Kim was the Sunny Saint angel that found my mom and dad and my new home for me. 

I decided I was not going into the house with Bella so I just stayed about twenty feet away from her when we were outside. My mom and dad had to carry me into the sunroom where they had put my cool-a-roo bed. I really didn’t want to go in the house with that Bella dog so I stood my ground and stayed in the sunroom and outside for my first four days. I slept in the sunroom at night for those first four days and I think that made my new mom upset because she thought it was too cold out there. Guess what she did? She slept on the couch in the family room and every few hours came out with a warm towel and wrapped it around me. I went along with this but hey I’m a Saint Bernard we came from snow and cold. I kept it on 'til she went back in the house and then shook it off till the next time. Dad gave me a stuffed toy to sleep with and taught me how to play with toys. My favorite game is tug and I can get Bella to play with me by swinging one of my ropes around.  

I love my Bella now and decided to move into the house on Christmas Eve last year. It’s OK that she thinks she’s the Princess and I’m only the Duchess because I know that mom and dad love us both. She does irritate me sometimes because she lies in a doorway and knows that I won’t step over her. I just sit and wait till mom or dad tells her to move. Mom says that she thinks Bella and me talk to each other and plot and plan tricks on her and dad. Bella taught me to take a toy on our daily walk, she takes a tennis ball and I take one of my ropes. I taught Bella how to pull stuffing out of anything that has it inside, she apparently never did that till I came here to live. Neither one of us will go on a walk without the other one, we are a team.

Mom and dad say that I am a klutz and a clown, in fact my mom keeps telling me to quit acting like a Bozo. I don’t know why mom and dad think I’m a clown. Could it be because I trip off the curb and walk into mail boxes when on a walk? Maybe it is because I turned over when I was sleeping and fell off my bed a few times. I also know how to hide from Bella when we play and then come out charging her and she chases me. To get attention I moan and make funny noises but it works because Bella comes over to sniff me and kisses me. One other thing that mom and dad are proud of me for is that I am the Queen of our dog park. I greet all of the parents and play my heart out with all different types of doggies there. My favorite friends are Minky the Chihuahua, Bella the Newfi, Balto the Husky and of course Dexter the Labradoodle next door.

I love to snuggle with mom and dad when we all lay on the floor at night. Bella likes to sit on mom and I like to lie on mom which causes a big problem because there is not enough room for both of us. The Princess usually gives me a head butt to move away so mom puts one of us on either side of her and belly rubs Bella and snuggles with me.  At these times life couldn’t get much better.

I love my forever home and I love Sunny Saints for knowing that my mom and dad and my Bella would be the best parents and sister for me. Thank you all for loving me and finding my forever home for me so that I could have the best birthday present ever!

Love,
-Lizzie