I am not sure why, but I have never really been a dog person. This may sound odd to those of you who either know me or know of our annual Mother Dog Spa Day or the perpetual treats I have for the walk by doggies in Providence, but I have always loved the connection of people, especially women, and their dogs and I guess that has made me a dog person by osmosis. Don't get me wrong, I love dogs, I had just never found a dog that I have felt that personal connection with like proud dog owners brag about.

I was visiting my friend JACKIE at Jackie's Loft in Bristol a few weeks ago and she introduced me to her newest addition, Baby, a recent adoptee from New York who was 8. She was a dog that had been a breeding machine and I guess when she could produce no more, her ungrateful owners decided she was useless and dropped her off at a horse farm to die. She is a min-pin, not very attractive, old and used up looking, like an old widow who had 15-kids on a farm at home naturally. I told Jackie that her name should be Va-Vo which is Grandma in Portuguese. She had a look of wisdom and sadness in her eyes and she was the cutest little dog I had seen from a personality standpoint. I made a connection to the point where I found myself telling everyone her story and going to visit her. I started thinking that maybe an older dog would be a good fit for me. After our Providence Mother Dog Spa Day last June, I made a nice connection with a woman named Ginny at PARL (Providence Animal Rescue League) and I decided to email her inquiring about the possibility of an older little dog. She said she would be on the lookout and 5 days ago I got an email from her letting me know about a Yorkshire Terrier who was about 7 who had arrived before Christmas. I brought my son and his friend to meet him and we instantly fell in love. Frankie's name was actually Fluffy, but as we were checking out, a really cool young guy who had adopted a pitbull and was looking for another dog came in and told my son in that fabulous Rhode Island accent, "you can't have a dog named Fluffy, besides it's a boy, why don't you name it Frankie?" and so Fluffy became Frankie and 5 days later, I am in love. Here is a picture that I shall bore you with and I feel like Frankie has made his way into my world for a higher purpose. Thank you to PARL for your facility and I look forward to this new journey of dog companionship that I have emBARKed on Happy New Year