Anne Beatrice Lourdusamy was devastated after her beloved dog, Candy, passed away in September 2022. Candy was a beautiful Shih Tzu with a colourful personality, and cherished by all in the family.
Her passing left a void in Anne’s heart, but over time, she felt ready to welcome another pooch into her life.
Her search led her to a beautiful toy poodle puppy, slightly over three months old. The pint-sized pup had big, expressive eyes and Anne was instantly smitten.
“It was her eyes,” said Anne. Looking at the pup’s angelic face, Anne named her “Sweetie.”
Although Sweetie was quiet on her first night in her new home, it didn’t take long for her to warm up to her doting humans. Today, the two-year-old is a beloved member of the family and the centre of attraction.
“She loves to sleep on my mum’s lap,” said Anne affectionately, adding that Sweetie also enjoys snoozing on her back with her legs up in the air.
When the family leaves home without her, Sweeties welcomes them back with a heartwarming act. “She shakes her head sideways to tell us that she has been a good girl, to assure us that everything is fine, and she wasn’t up to any mischief,” said Anne, 46.
She also has another unique way of greeting her humans. “She jumps and taps her hind legs together. She looks like a ballet dancer,” added Anne fondly.
Naturally, Anne looks forward to Sweetie’s excited reaction every time she comes home from a long day at work. Describing Sweetie as “a gift from God,” Anne shared that her pooch loves people, other dogs – and even cats!
“I recently saw her with a cat. She made a sound, and the cat responded. They were communicating!” said Anne with a laugh.
When Sweetie spots other dogs, she barks at them, inviting them to play with her. “Just like her name, she’s really sweet and I have never seen her angry,” said Anne.
The pooch also loves spending time at the park with Anne. “When I walk, she walks. When I jog or run, she does the same. Her eyes are always on me,” said Anne.
While Sweetie enjoys a diet of rice with minced meat, boiled egg and sweet potatoes as well as kibbles, the pooch tends to get bored easily – especially since she’s developed a liking for chapati, bread and biscuits, which her humans occasionally indulge her with. However, the cautious pooch only accepts food from those she knows.
Don’t be fooled by her petite size as Sweetie is a brave canine who is not afraid of fireworks, storms or thunder. But she intensely dislikes trips to the veterinary clinic and the groomer!
“Once, the veterinarian wanted to administer a vaccine and she started shaking. The staff at the clinic said it looked like she was dancing!” said Anne with a laugh.
Having Sweetie in her life, Anne added, has helped to lessen the pain of Candy’s passing. Indeed, just like her name, the pooch has brought “sweetness” where there was once grief.
“Sweetie brings happiness and has brought our family even closer. She has changed our lives,” said Anne.
This article was written by Sheela Vijayan @ FMT Lifestyle. Read more pet stories here.
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.