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By Carole LaRue, Resident Sweet Pea and Gidget are so thrilled to be in the View this month. Sweet Pea is 11 years young and came to us through the Ramona Animal Shelter when they featured dogs and cats for adoption at Petsmart on the weekends. We had her DNA done and she is Deer Chihuahua, Rat Terrier and a tiny amount of Ibizan Hound. We had recently lost our Smooth Fox Terrier and our Beagle had a huge hole in her heart - as did we. We weren't looking for another doggie but from the front of the store looking to the back, I saw this small black and white doggie with a huge black circle, and I headed that way. Ken seldom curses, but I heard "oh _ _ _ _." As I approached this little eight-month-old girl, she flipped over onto her back for me to tickle her belly, her tail wagging the entire time. Sweet Pea became ours. We'd never put clothes on our dogs before, but it was winter and she was cold, so it started with a sweater and then a coat and then a dress - well, you get the picture. Sweet Pea has approximately 64 outfits. When it is too hot to wear even a sundress on our walks, all we frequently hear "Sweet Pea's naked!" Ms. Pea has been all over the United States in her parents' RV. She is the Navigator, riding literally in the front window (laying down so Daddy can see everything). We love her more than words can express. Gidget came to us from a local Rescue. She was found at two weeks old in a bucket behind a gas station and her Foster Mommy (Kathi, a fellow Islander) fed her with tiny baby bottles to keep her and her brother alive. Her brother was adopted by another Island couple. Again, we were NOT looking for another dog, but these two were going to be leaving in a matter of days to go to shelters in Montana, Utah, etc. Now, look at this little baby's picture and tell me if you could picture her living in the ice and snow! She is now six months old, completely potty trained, knows nine tricks (she knows them quicker if you have a treat in your hand) and we can leave her home with her sister without her ever getting into or destroying anything. Easiest puppy we have ever trained. We sent her DNA to the same place that did Sweet Pea's and can't wait to see where her incredibly long legs came from. Gidget has brought us and many other Islanders such joy. She is just happy from her nose to the tip of her tail. 100 percent of the time, pure joy. And, she loves wearing outfits. The girls have several matching outfits. She just struts her stuff on their daily walks around our beautiful grounds here at Solera Diamond. Pets Of The Month Interview 10 SOLERA DIAMOND VALLEY | MAY 2021 By Linda Weiss, Resident Well, mine is. However, I can't say its much of a secret. I have to admit, there are many people involved. Pepper and I take two or three walks a day down the Paseo, and when she sees these "Special People," or hears them speak or even if their dog gives a bark, she knows who they are and that they are there just to see her. She loses all control of herself and just can't get to them fast enough. You see, these "Special People," whether they are walking, running or riding a bike, give out treats. Treats are what she lives for. She runs as fast as she can to get to them, dragging me along, even though she knows I can't run as fast as she can. I feel very blessed to be living in a community where the residents share there love of animals. I remember when I first moved here, it seemed that everyone knew the pet's name before we could remember the owner's name. We communicated with residents about other residents by using the pets name to refer to whom we were speaking of. Everyone remembers the dogs name first. I would like to be able to mention the names of all these many "Special People." However, Pepper has made me promise to keep her secret and I wouldn't want to burst her bubble. She thinks she is the only puppy that is special to these "Special People." Besides, you can tell how many people she is in love with by the way her waistline is expanding. Is Your Dog Having a Secret Love Affair?

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