The Illegitimate Dog

Take a walk through any dog park and somehow it always seems the dogs people choose – or the people dogs choose - resemble each others' attributes. This was the case with Sophia and Mocha, a puppy who has eyes that charm, a magnetic personality, energy abounding, and who never meets a stranger.

And that’s how our tail - I mean tale - of welcoming Mocha into our family begins: never meeting a stranger. Sophia comes in the back door one cold, January night with a friend and the most adorable four-legged critter we had ever seen. With a wrinkly nose and big paws, the tiny puppy wagged her tail as she bounced from person to person begging for attention. It was apparent this dog was well-loved but yearned for continual attention of human interaction.

The story told by Sophia and her friend Jada was they found this black-as-soot dog walking down the center of the dirt road in the dark of night. It was late on Thursday and of course we could not send her back out to fend for herself from the coyotes and weather. I knew something was awry, continually questioning the true origin of this boundless, energetic pup, but the girls - looking dead into my eyes - spoke with authority as if they were speaking the absolute truth.

But moms usually know when lies role off the tongues of their young, and this was one of those times. We kept the puppy overnight with Sophia understanding she was going to have to find the rightful home of this dog. When efforts to post on social media and calling around to the veterinarians was not a priority, it simply confirmed my suspicion that my adorable daughter was a liar!

After not sleeping well for two nights, I was hoping Sophia would come clean with the truth. Matthew, during a car ride to the Davies, was adamant with Sophia that she should tell us the truth. Upon their return that Sunday afternoon, Sophia turned to Richard and me with alligator tears and puppy dog eyes, grabbed our hands in hers and came clean. She said she was sorry for lying to us, and she told us that Mocha was Jada’s dog and she needed a new home.

This relationship that started in deceit has grown into quite a love affair.

We adopted Mocha into our family, but Sophia’s punishment for lying was she now was financially responsible for the beginning vet bills and paying for Mocha to get spayed. While undergoing surgery to not have puppies, the wonderful workers at Quailwood contacted Sophia to see if Mocha needed her eye lids clipped while she was under anesthesia. Being part Shar-Pai, Mocha had battled eye issues and anyone who has tried to give a dog eye drops knows it is not pleasurable. That day Mocha received an eyelid job. I still can’t quite come to grips with how this dog could have plastic surgery before I do.

While the children were young, I could hardly keep up with cleaning after them; no way were animals coming into the home to make more of a mess. Unless it was an iguana or guinea pig in a cage, I was not interested with inside pets. Through they years, our animals' time inside had increased, but Sophia was well aware that no pets were allowed on the bed.

I went to her room one day with Mocha walking close behind me. I stopped just passed the door to ask Sophia, who was reclining on her bed, a question. Mocha did not slow down at the door but trotted around the bed and in a single bound leapt up on the bed. Sophia’s eyes widened as if she’d been caught yet again. It was apparent Mocha had mastered this move long before that day.

Mocha has now grown into her paws, still has the cutest wrinkly nose, and is powerful enough to bound over rows of cotton in a single leap. She goes on adventures with our other geriatric dog Rosie, coming back after many hours or several days. Mocha often times ditches Rosie to venture further than Rosie is comfortable with and recently took a week-long adventure having me rethinking the quality of current restraint measures. After a long day of fun, she also nestles in nightly on her Serta dog mattress in the family room, snoring with great contentment.

Spoiled? Maybe.  Well….yes. She and her bestie Smudge, Sophia’s cat, are now like my Grands. I know it sounds silly, but they are the closest things I will ever have to “children” of Sophia. Here’s hoping both of them have nine lives!

*Pictured above are Mocha and Sophia on their journey to Pensacola to visit cousins Jessie, Andy and lab Vadar.