Nina

Entrant's First Name
Christopher

Your Pet's Rescue Story
Nina, a Chihuahua, came into my life on 12/21/2018, via the Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando, after having been rescued from Puerto Rico. The staff at Pet Alliance estimated that she had been born around the time of Hurricane Maria, so there's no telling what she went through prior to her being rescued. She does have a couple of scars on her body, she is extremely frightened of storms and loud noises, and she appeared to have had at least one litter, so she likely had a rough start to her young life. I think Nina and I were meant to be, though, as evidenced by her climbing into my lap as I sat on the floor with her in the shelter's kennel. She seemed content to just be petted and loved-on and her tail would wag ever so slightly when I whispered her name into her ear. She had already been named by the staff and her positive response to hearing me say it further confirmed that she was going home with me that day. She was a little angel on the drive home, sitting quietly in her little harness, seatbelted into the front seat next to me, while I continued to pet her for the 30 minute drive. Since then, she has become the alpha dog of the household, a role willingly given to her by our older Chihuahua, Jake, who is content to occasionally snuggle up with her in a soft dog bed or to just watch her antics, such as chasing squirrels and running around at top speed. Adopting Nina 4 days before Christmas helped to fill a hole in my heart that had existed since my 16 year-old Jack Russell, Mikey, made his transition a few months earlier. She was and is the best Christmas present ever!