My Angel Abigail

I met my beloved puppy, who I named Abigail on my fourteenth birthday after her mother Brandie gave birth to her on my bedroom floor. She was a golden-red German Shepherd, Chow, and Akita mix puppy. She was so tiny that she fit in the palm of my hand, yet she was such a beautiful puppy. Immediately, this adorable newborn puppy that had captured my heart. My family and I rescued Brandie after finding her at the local convenience store one night, which was around the corner from my home. She was starving and lost, so my family decided to adopt her. A few months before my birthday, I had made an appointment to get her spayed. However, I discovered that Brandie was already pregnant by my neighbor's purebred Akita.

On my birthday or New Year's Eve, I left to babysit for a friend of mine while they ran a few errands. Brandie was lying on my bedroom floor and she looked like she didn't feel well, once I returned home that night. I screamed for my mom with tears in my eyes, when suddenly she gave birth to a beautiful light brown puppy. She gave birth to another light brown puppy, which was almost identical to the first puppy. I was witnessing the blessed miracle of life through this dog I had rescued, but I was amazed and grossed out at the same time. For a few minutes, I massaged her back as she rested after cleaning the first two puppies. My mom and I thought she was finished, so I was about to get up. Suddenly, she began having another tan and brown colored puppy, which look just like a pure bred German Shepherd.

I stayed with Brandie, as my twin brother came in and began admiring the tiny newborn puppies also. My mom and my little brother were building a make shift bed for Brandie and the new puppies, when she began giving to a tiny golden-red puppy. The last puppy was smaller than the others were, but she was the most adorable puppy I had ever seen. Brandie had given birth to four puppies and she looked worn out, yet she surprised me when she nudged the puppy toward me. At first, I was nervous and wasn't sure what I was supposed to do. Thankfully, my mom knew what to do and she explained that Brandie wanted me to help clean up the puppy. I noticed that the tiny yet fragile puppy was a girl, so I named her Abigail after a character I admired in the Bible.

I laid Abigail next to the other puppies, who were already nursing from their mother as she rested. Later that night, I discovered that she had three boys and one girl. For the next few months, I helped Brandie care for the puppies, especially after they began moving around. Each of the puppies was extremely adorable, yet very active and growing fast. All four puppies were into everything, which began to annoy my mom and both of my brothers. They constantly stole toys and shoes from every member of the family. In early spring, my mom announced that they were old enough to give away. This announcement broke my heart, because I had fallen in love with each of them. My mom found good homes for the three boys within a matter of days, so I began asking if I could keep Abigail. After a few days had passed with no answer, I finally resorted to begging.

"Can I keep her...Please?" I pleaded.

She didn't answer at first and then she responded, "You have to promise to take care of her."

"I promise that I will! Can I keep her?"

She nodded. "Yes, but teach her not to chew up my stuff."

I screamed with excitement, "Thank you, Mom!"

Abigail became my best friend and my family loved her as much as I did. It was neat to watch her grow up from a puppy into a healthy yet beautiful dog. My brother and I even celebrated our birthdays together, which was fun and memorable. I taught her many neat tricks and she taught me many things as well, like how to love unconditionally. One day, she and I were playing in my backyard, when she began barking in a strange way. I had never heard her bark like that, so I became concerned and started looked around to see what was bothering her. Suddenly, she ran toward me and stopped in front of me, which annoyed me at the time. Then, she began barking at the ground in front of me.

Immediately, I noticed a harmless green garter snake but at that moment, I realized she was protecting me. Abigail's behavior impressed and amazed me, because I had never trained her in this way. Right before, she turned three years old, our family had to move but we couldn't take Abigail with us. I decided to give her to a close friend, who lived about fifteen miles from where we used to live.

The next day my granddad called and announced, "Abigail came back, she is in the yard."

"Can I leave her there, instead of taking her back?" I asked.

My grandpa agreed, "Yeah, just come by and take care of her every day."

"Thank you Papa!" I cried with joy.

After that day, I got off the school bus near my grandma's, so I could care for Abigail and play with her. My mom came by after work to pick me up, but I didn't like leaving her behind. During the summer, I stayed with my grandparents and Abigail, so I could enjoy more time with her. She always howled in excitement, whenever she saw me each day. A few months later, my family decided to move back in with my grandparents. Luckily, we lived with my grandparents for the rest of my teenage years, which allowed me to spend time with Abigail every day. She became my big teddy bear and I will always treasure the time I was able to spend with her. However, to this day, I wonder how she managed to find her way back home.

Yet, I am grateful that she did find her way back to me and my family, because she always knew how to make me feel better. Sadly, she died at eight years old, due to a bad heart, which left me devastated. I can't help but to smile when I think of the many wonderful and special memories we shared together. Today, I believe that she is God's special angel and now she is patiently waiting for me -- to come home to her!