Happy birthday to Teri

Teri is sort of my dog. But really she's my Mom's dog. But I was there when we first met her and when we first decided to get her (after a year or two of begging my father to get another dog). She was just this little tiny tyke when we first met her. All of about 3 pounds.

Teri at 5 weeks

She wasn't much bigger when we brought her home, maybe 5 pounds or so. Just this little ball of fluff.

Teri on her first day in our yard

She's been through a lot over the years, two ACL repair surgeries, a nasty abscess that required surgery, allergic reactions to everything (including vaccinations, bees, flea/tick meds, and food). But she's been my Mom's (and my Dad's before he passed away) faithful companion for many years.

Keeping my Dad company

Visiting my Grandmother at the nursing home the year before she died

On April 28, Teri turned 16! Yhe's almost completely deaf at this point and definitely senile. She wanders the house a lot and she fell down the stairs recently. After that, she has a bit of a limp. The vet thinks she likely hurt her ACL again, but at her age surgery is definitely not recommended. And it only seems to affect her if she does too much.

But you wouldn't really know she's reached such a grand age if you met her. She still likes to play fetch and tug in the house with her little ball. And she still loves to run around in the grass. So happy birthday Teri! Here's to many more!

Teri enjoying a run in the yard on her 16th birthday