Tootsie - My Soul mutt

Tootsie is a 10 year old Spaniel mix and my best friend. I call her my soul mutt. Simply put, a soul mutt is that one dog we seem to have an extra, spiritual connection to. They seem to understand us better; to know when we're happy, sad, or just need them to be near us. And they respond quickly to whatever the need is. It's as if we can communicate on some deeper level than normal.

From the moment I saw her picture on petfinder.com, I knew Tootsie was going to be my dog. I got her from a local shelter on her last day. She was scheduled for euthanasia on Friday -- I got her Thursday. The shelter manager had kept her three weeks longer than he was supposed to because she was such a good dog. He was relieved when I adopted her. She immediately got along with my two older (and sometimes crabby) dogs. Tootsie loves walking, and running, in the park, chasing her squeaky ball, and relaxing with her favorite chewy. Her favorite thing is to have her back and neck scratched. At night she sleeps at the foot of my bed.

She is a great dog and helps me with all the foster dogs that come through our house. She teaches them how to behave. Everyone says she's a wonderful, well-trained dog and I just remind them how wonderful it is to adopt a dog from a shelter. She's the best!


Rev. Claudia Barber
Dearborn Heights, MI