Back in 2008, I was involved with the Arizona Animal Welfare League, the largest no-kill animal shelter in Arizona. Their annual fundraiser, Evening to Paws was coming up and they had chosen a small shelter dog as the focus of the night, It was to be a "Cinderella" story and she was the Princess. I had recently lost my previous shelter dog and learned about this dog, they called her Tulip. I went to take a look at her and decided to adopt her - and she WAS a Princess!

I named her Ginger, and she was quite a handful. I used one of those "doorway gates" to keep her in the room, and she promptly climbed up and over it! She could go for hours, just playing "catch and fetch". She had a bark that was loud and deep, and sounded more like a German Shepherd than a small mixed mutt.

For the evening ceremony, I introduced her to the crowd, and told our story with this short poem:

Ode to Ginger

 

It was the end of November,

A gray and rainy day,

With her fur all scruffy and curled.

This pup was adopted from AAWL,

And she forever changed my world.

 

They called her Tulip,

But she spoke to me

And said it was such a shame

That the folks at the shelter never knew

That “Ginger” was her name.

 

Her undercoat is ginger-spice brown

And she’s as mischievous as can be.

She climbed the doggy gate that I put up.

“Don’t fence me in, I have to be free!”

 

She would cock her head and stare at me.

She’d back up a few steps, as if to say,

“Hey dad, come on, let’s go outside

Or at least get a toy and let’s play.”

 

Her bark is deep and rather loud.

If you didn’t see her, you’d never know

That she’s really just a tiny pup;

One foot tall from head to toe.

 

She loves to romp, and run and play.

She’s like a little gnome.

We found each other, we both know now

She has a “forever home.”

 

On that last day in November

The fates stepped in

And foretold a future, yet to be.

Somehow they knew that I would rescue her

So she could rescue me!

 

Mark Goldman 2/1/2008