New addition shall be called Sparkie

 STEVIE LOWERY -  LANDMARK NEWS SERVICE

This adorable dog showed up on my back porch last week.

Well, I think I've been chosen.

Last week, a furry, four-legged friend showed up on my back porch. My cat, Biscuit, noticed him first. She began to meow very loudly, which she never does, as she sat on guard at the back door. I soon realized what she was meowing at as I peered out the door to find this adorable dog smiling back at me.

He got so excited when I came outside to greet him that he actually lost control of his bladder. (I think that's the first time I've had that type of reaction out of a man.) He quite literally couldn't contain his excitement. His bright smile and furious tail wagging seemed to be saying, "I'm home! I'm home!"

"Oh boy," I thought to myself, "Can I do this again?"

Last year, I had to say goodbye to my loving dog of eight years, Mickey. He had suffered from severe allergies his entire life and I just couldn't stand to watch him suffer any longer. Saying goodbye to Mickey was hard. I carried around a great deal of guilt inside because Mickey was a much better pet to me than I was a pet owner to him. He had once been like my "child" but when I became a "real" mom Mickey didn't get as much attention. I know he still felt loved, but I'm not sure I loved him enough during his last few years. And I feel extremely guilty about it.

So, last week when I saw this dog on my back porch, I made a promise to myself. If this guy decides to stick around, I'm going to do a better job of showing him love. So far, no one has claimed him. If I had to guess, someone probably dumped him off on my road. Well, their loss is my gain. Every morning, he continues to greet me on the back porch with his adorable smile. He's literally one of the most loving dogs I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.

Since his arrival, we have spent a considerable amount of time together on my back porch. He's still a puppy, so he's small enough to fit in my chair with me. Every night, I spend at least an hour outside just sitting with him and petting him. He's even had the pleasure of hearing me sing, which he enjoyed, by the way. And, he doesn't even get angry when I remove those pesky ticks embedded into his skin. He just looks at me kindly, as if to say, "Thank you."

Last week, when it seemed evident that he was here to stay, I asked my son to name him. And, in the matter of a few seconds Owen said, "Sparkie."

"Why Sparkie?" I asked.

"Because it's a happy name. And he's happy," Owen replied.

Indeed, he is one happy dog.

Stevie Lowery is publisher of the Lebanon Enterprise.