By Jarissa Aquinde, Positively Woof Rescue and Adoption Story Editor
This is the Story of Spunky (Aka: Fluff Butt)
We all have that dream or desired breed of dog. I personally favored German Shepherds, Border Collies, and Labradors. The large breeds. I knew my favorite breeds limited my perspective on the smaller ones. Generally, I thought of them as spoiled, loud, and not as willing to learn. You don’t often see small dogs climbing buildings or competing in a obedience rally. Then, on December 6, 2015, my world was changed.
It started around lunchtime that day. I just finished eating and was scrolling through my adoption app to see if there were any new listings. At the time, I was looking for an athletic dog that could compete in agility. There weren’t any German shepherds, collies, or labs. My search concluded after finding no pooch that would be the perfect fit. Again, I thought I knew what I wanted.
That evening, around dinner time, we were attempting to make some food. Knowing that my culinary skills are far from perfect, we decided that fast food would be a good option for that night. After spending thirty minutes thinking about what we wanted, a restaurant was finally chosen. By this time it was late, cold, and damp. The moon was high and you could barely make out small shadows throughout the street.
After getting everyone’s request, we grabbed the keys and went to get into the car. Being an animal lover leads me to notice the smallest things; birds, cats, and even frogs can’t cross my path without being acknowledged. Right before I opened the car door, I noticed a shadow in the distance. It was faint, petite, and still. At first glance it could have been mistaken as a cat. My mind couldn’t grasp what the shadow was outlining. Slightly concerned, I bent over and clapped my hands. No response. I called out some random names. No response. I tried getting it to come inside. No response. By this time I began to question if this “animal” was even real. My final attempt was to get on my hands and knees. At the very moment I called the animal over, it came! It didn’t walk or run. It pranced across the street with a very spunky attitude. Not long after, I realized that it was a dog! A small, drenched, dog. It was late, so I took him in.
The next morning we began to search for the dog’s family. He wasn’t fixed, his nails were long, and he seemed hungry. We went door to door, called the vet, and even checked areas outside of our town. There was no trace of the owners. After waiting about three weeks, I finally realized that this dog didn’t have a family. Or if he did, they did an amazing job at covering it up. Since he wasn’t claimed, that crossed out Plan A, so I went on to Plan B — find him a family! Who wouldn’t want this cute pup? Turns out twelve families declined the offer. They all had good reasons but some were better than others. I understood and I tried to weigh my options. No one would claim him, and no one wanted him. 
Three months passed and we still had the dog. At this time we were running out of options. We could have taken him to the shelter or found him a foster home. As previously stated, I’m an avid animal lover. While he wasn’t my ideal dog, we started to build a connection. Soon after, we started to think of some names. Max, Finn, Ace, and Spunky were some popular ideas. Now that he was starting to pick up on the names, I wanted to see what he knew. I asked him a variety of basic commands and he knew absolutely nothing. Keeping this in mind, we started with the very basics: Sit, Down, and Stay. He picked up incredibly quickly! 
Our bond grew and grew. He learned how to fetch, swim, do tricks, and agility. The small dog was all that I’ve ever wanted. After some sessions, he could balance on objects, retrieve random items, and even do a handstand. His willingness to learn amazed me.
One day I went to the store and out of curiosity I looked through the pet section. I was in the store for about an hour. I came home later that evening with a surprise for the pooch. Intrigued, the small dog was rummaging through the sacks looking for any trace of food. While there wasn’t any food, there was something even greater. It was a royal blue collar with yellow pin stripes going down the side. Attached to the ring was a small bone. Engraved in the bone was a fine print. It read “Spunky”. After all of the months of waiting, he found his forever home!
When I share this story with others, it seems as if it was a mystery. I often find myself questioning where he came from. What was his past? How old is he? What breed of dog? We don’t know. I believe that Spunky showed up for a reason. I’m extremely blessed to have such an amazing dog. Believe me when I say that he is far from perfect, but together we work through our obstacles. If you’re considering adopting a dog, I encourage you to keep your mind open to new breeds and sizes. Sometimes the smallest things take up the most space in your heart.
Follow Smart Spunky on Instagram @life_with_spunky
