We at LVLR are moved beyond words to receive this incredibly loving Happy Tail for Melli (formerly Lilo). Updates like this make every day better.
"Melli's happy tail!
Melli a.k.a. Lilo came to us from the Las Vegas Lab Rescue in September after we had finally opened our hearts to bring a new dog into our family after losing our beloved black lab, Jasmine, in 2014. Our family's last name is Grant. We renamed Lilo to Melli because we wanted to have a brand-new name for her for her brand-new life, and we borrowed the name Melli from the TV show Scandal where the first lady of the United States is named Mellie Grant. Our own Melli Grant is the first lady of our household!
Roxxi, our 2006 rescue from LVLR accepted Melli from the very first visit from her loving foster mom Joni. Sweet Melli was practically only a puppy herself when she gave birth to a litter of puppies and then was discarded like trash somewhere in Utah with milk still leaking out of her from lack of nursing. I thank God every day for the great volunteers at LVLR who rescued Melli from a sad set of circumstances, had her spayed, and then brought into the rescue for us to adopt her. This sweet girl has the most expressive eyes and she lights up the room every time she is in it. When she wakes up in the morning with me, she takes herself out to potty and then while I'm making coffee she comes bursting in the doggie door and grabs a toy, and starts running around trying to entice Roxxi to play with her. Her nickname is Hurricane Melli!
Melli absolutely loves my eight-year-old daughter, and is so gentle with kids. She loves when my daughter has sleepovers. I'll never forget, shortly after we had adopted Melli, my daughter had a sleepover and Melli was the center of attention. She loved having five kids doting on her all night long and slept in the middle of their pile of sleeping bags.
Melli loves going on walks, even though she is still learning how to be a good girl on leash. She loves going to the park and playing her version of fetch, which is really a game of keepaway.
Melli does have a slight case of separation anxiety; I have a feeling it's because everything she loved in her life before us was taken away. Her puppies were taken from her when she was still nursing, and then her home was taken away. When Melli first came to us, she would tremble and cry out in her sleep - I can only imagine what her nightmares entailed! Thankfully, that only lasted a couple of months. Now she sleeps quietly at the foot of my bed. I pray that within the coming months she realizes that we will never, ever let her go, and that we will always come home to her. Fortunately for Melli, my husband and I both work from home so there is usually always someone home with her. And recently, we went on a weeklong vacation and my older niece stayed at our house so that Melli would not have to go to a strange environment.
Melli enjoys car rides with Roxxi to take my daughter to school or summer camp. The second she sees me pick up my daughter's lunch box, it is her cue to run to the back door and pounce up-and-down in anticipation of being able to run out to my SUV. It is so darn cute, I can't imagine a happier way to start our morning! When I have a morning that I have a meeting or need to run errands after drop off and can't take the girls with me, well, let's just say that the disappointment in Melli's eyes can be a heart breaker!
Melli came to us not knowing how to give kisses. She gets a little more willing as each month goes by, but she's very parsimonious with her kisses and it takes a lot of begging! Each one we receive is newsworthy for the whole family. In that respect, she is the opposite of Roxxi. Roxxi will unload her slobber kisses on anyone and everyone, that little minx!
Last fall, my daughter's school had a "bring your pet to school" day and Melli was the center of attention as 300 kids that got to pet and love on her.
Some of Melli's favorite pastimes include:
- Scamming free pets from anyone with a dangling hand.
- Rough housing with her "cousin" Monkey, a lab-coon-pit mix.
- Swimming, but only from the steps of the pool - hasn't graduated to jumping in yet.
- Terrorizing the neighbors 2 lap dogs through a tiny drainage hole in our backyard's common wall. She doesn't bark, she just looks through there and they go nuts!
- Demanding attention from the yard crew and the pool guy - scamming more free pets.
- Watching Game of Thrones and Outlander - she loves the horses. Hoping to take her to the farm with us to watch my daughter ride once it cools off.
- Laying atop Roxxi in some form or fashion, she's a snuggler!
- Being my shadow - can't even go to the bathroom alone!
- Stealing the kitchen throw rug and moving it to the dining room. She doesn't chew it, she's just redecorating every day! A regular Martha Stewart!
Melli has been such a perfect addition to our family and has helped me personally close the hole that was in my heart from the loss of Jasmine. Thanks again for finding her for us!
Thank you,
Jen Grant"
Have your own Happy Tail to share? Please email your story and pictures to: [email protected].
