Freckles (Pecas) 

Hello friends!  My name is Pecas, (Freckles in Spanish) sometimes I´m called Pequitas (little Freckle face) and sometimes they call me “Pecaminosa” ("little sinner")…now why would they say such a thing? Maybe because in my youth I was a rather mischievous?! Now I´m old and a bit overweight, but I can still defend myself, especially when my cousin, Kiwi, bothers me.  Today´s youth just don´t know how to respect their elders!  It´s been a long and good life and I thank my Creator for so many blessings and His goodness to me.

My life hasn´t always been so full of such rich blessings.  I was born in Mexico City.  As I grew up, I was always being scolded me for my pranks.  I loved making holes in the yard, playing with the toilet paper, chewing on books and looking for ways to escape from the yard.  What´s wrong with that?  Don´t all puppies do such things?  Life was such fun, so many adventures to live.  But everything was about to change and later I was sorry for all my mischief.

One day my family put me I the care and we travelled to a place that had lots of cars, people and these big and noisy things that flew over our heads.  The car stopped and I jumped out quickly to explore.  I didn´t realize that I was getting further and further away from where my family was.  I was having too much fun playing with the other dogs, smelling such exciting odors and eating all the fascinating left over food  lying around.  After a while I was tired and decided I´d head back to the spot where the car was.  Where was it? Where was my family? I was lost! Had I been abandoned? I was frightened and exhausted.  What should I do?  I finally found a somewhat quiet corner and fell asleep. 

I awoke later hungry and sore.  I began investigating my surroundings dodging the cars and trying to hide from those noisy machines that passed through the sky. There were advantages to freedom, no one scolded me or prevented me from eating what I wanted when I wanted.  I could go wherever I felt like without any restraints.  However, the food I found to eat was smelly and yucky, I soon tired of sleeping on the hard pavement or finding a dirty patch of grass to sleep on.  I missed my comfy bed and the loving caresses of my people.  I began to hunt desperately for my family, looking longingly at the cars and the people who were hurrying back and forth.  But nobody paid attention to a poor, dirty white cocker with freckles on her nose and brown patches on her back.  Some even shouted at me and kicked me.    

The days passed and I became weak and sick.  My long, beautiful white fur was dirty, matted and full of mud.  My ears hurt all the time and I started sneezing and having trouble breathing.  I wanted to sleep and never wake up.  How long could I survive?

One chilly morning I approached a car with several people in it.  I looked at them, pleading with my big brown eyes, desperate for help. 

They looked at me compassionately. 

“Poor little thing.  How in the world did she get here to the airport?  Was she lost or abandoned?”

My heart began to beat faster.  Maybe, just maybe these kind folks would help me.

“Poor mutt,” said one of the ladies. “She´s sick.  We can´t leave her here or she´ll die.  Let´s take her home.  Surely we´ll find someone to adopt a pretty little dog like her. “

Was it truly happening?  Were these kind ladies really going to rescue me?

“You´re right,” said the other one.  “We´ll tie my belt around her and put her in the car.  She needs a name. I can´t take a creature home without a name.”

“She has lots of brown freckles on her nose.  We´ll call her “Freckles.”

And so it was that with my new name I was taken to their home and met their other dogs, my new cousins.  I was so tired that after I ate a delicious supper of real dog food, I slept for almost an entire day!

A few days later a visitor came to our house.  It was love at first sight! I rolled over on my back so she could rub my belly.  She was smitten.  She adopted me and took me to her house to live.  She loved me very much.  She took me for walks every day and gave me yummy food to eat. 

My new mama still took me every day to visit with my cousins and aunties (the ladies who rescued me) while she went to work.  I still created a lot of mischief, especially when I was alone, I was afraid of being abandoned again! But even though they scolded me, I was always treated with love and affection.

Ten years have gone by.  My cousins have now passed on to that place where all the good and beloved dogs go, and someday soon I´ll catch up to them there.  Recently life gave an unexpected turn when my mama and aunties not only share me, “Freckle face” but also the same house!  How wonderful to all be together, to be safe, loved and protected.  Yes, it has been along and interesting life.  Thanks to my creator for His goodness to me! 

(Our precious Pecas recently joined her cousins in that place where all the beloved pets go.  She is greatly missed and fondly remembered, not just for her mischievous pranks, but for all the love and joy she brought to her household.  We are thankful for the many years we had to enjoy her.)