It was a rainy day, when Lee Wei Jiin and his family spotted a terrified little fur ball wandering aimlessly on the streets, plodding from gate to gate in search of his home.
They caught him up, a wet little shivering mass, and brought him home, fearing for his safety if they left him there.
The first thing they did was dry his wet fur. They saw that his half-dried coat had a shimmer to it. His mom commented that the dog was “sparkly”, and that was how he was named Sparkle.
They thought it was a cute little name, befitting a cute little puppy. Oh, how deluded they were!
Sparkle’s first mark of his territory barely even started to dry, before he let out another stream onto one of their large yellow pillows.
Within a blink of an eye, little Sparkle had established himself as the alpha dog of the Lee household.
You see, in that little dog’s mind, they weren’t the ones who owned him as a pet. To him, they were his bitches. He owned them.
The family’s purpose was to provide him with food and treats, the occasional belly rubs, and behind-the-ear scratches that he would demand with his large round eyes.
He refused to learn any tricks aside from the mandatory handshake he would deign to offer as a little “thank you” for a snack.
Sparkle’s role in the house was not a pet. He was the protector of his larger sized minions.
He was never fazed by his enemies – rustling leaves, crawling cockroaches, rats, cats (even little kittens), and other canines who were five times his size.
This minute-sized leader never once backed down from these non-existent threats, and always charged head first into battles. He has accumulated a wealth of battle scars as proof of his combats.
His war strategy, although brave and effective – making even larger dogs draw back in surprise, had its drawbacks. This came in the form of sliding doors.
Poor reckless Sparkle could never tell when the way in front of him was clear or obstructed. Nevertheless, he always picked himself up with the same enthusiasm and ferocious barking to save his minions from harm.
Being so accomplished in the battlefield, they wished they could say his prowess with the fairer gender of his species was equally impressive. Suave was just not in Sparkle’s vocabulary.
His attempts at pick-up lines mostly consisted of scrambling up onto the (usually larger) female, and sometimes male, in the hopes that something magical would happen.
Needless to say, in the nine long years of being the alpha dog in their household, he never once succeeded.
But none of that matters. To him, his family’s well being was of the utmost importance and he took immense pride in keeping them safe.
Now that they are all strong enough to fend for themselves, although nowhere near strong enough to say farewell, their plea is that he rests well and plays well in paradise, Sparkle Lee.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR PET: FMT Lifestyle readers are invited to send in pictures (landscape format) and a short video (if any) of their furry, scaly or feathery friends to [email protected]. Don’t forget to include details like your pet’s name, age, breed and a short story about them.