I wish I had a super, amazing happy story as to how I started raising Shih Tzu, but in actuality, it’s anything but. I owned a beautiful Siberian Husky by the name of Zombie many years ago. I acquired her one summer up north as she was walking down a dirt road. My family and I had just gotten out of work and they spotted her. We could tell she had been abused since she had a nearly embedded rope around her neck and looked fairly thin. We easily lured her into our van with leftover food from our lunch earlier and we then knew she would be ours. We took her home, showered her and gave her her very own bandana. She was just gorgeous.
Before I knew it, we were attached by the hip. She was like a human. She knew what everyone said, what everyone thought. She was so funny and had such a dynamic personality. I remember one day she went under the shed and came back smelling like skunk. We gave her a tomato bath that day. Summer came to a close and we went from Minnesota, back home to Texas. She started shedding and it looked like it had been snowing in our home. No matter how much we swept, snow would appear out of nowhere once more.
It wasn’t until February that my world would be turned upside down. Zombie no longer wanted to wake me up like she used to or get out of bed when I did like she once would. I carried her out of my room and forced her to go outside. She just stood there. I didn’t know what was wrong. When I took her to the clinic, they told me the clinic was closed and they wouldn’t take her despite her bleeding nose. How could they deny her like that? When did it become about money and leaving work early rather than saving lives? I had to wait until the next day to take her to another clinic.
I was awoken at dawn by my mother who told me Zombie was crying to me. I went and she couldn’t even crawl to me. She was so weak and all she could do was whimper. I grabbed her, pulled her towards me and hugged with all my might. I cried and told her I was sorry for not doing something sooner and if she could wait just a while longer. I sat with her until the clinic opened. The veterinary technician was grabbing her from my car as I filled out the paperwork. When I finished, I went outside to see if I could help bring her in and that’s when she gave me the news: she had passed away. They offered to give her an autopsy, but an autopsy wouldn’t bring her back.
I love her and always will. Zombie, I miss you and I know a piece of you lives within Azula. If it wasn’t for your death, she would have passed away at the hands of her previous owner before I even had the pleasure of owning her. Things happen for a reason no matter how tragic they are. With your passing, I now have the honor of being owned by my Shih Tzu. I dedicate my present and future to them, and do everything with them in mind.
As for now, I breed Shih Tzu for health, temperament, beauty and longevity in hopes that they will become the best that they can be for other people who need a family member and companionship.