He’s the first dog I’ve ever had (except for the shaggy mutt I found in my driveway back in highschool in Tyler. I couldn’t keep that one because of house rules). In 2013 (maybe…6 months before I got evicted) I decided to finally get a dog when I convinced myself that I “did” have time to care for him…

My Uncle had owned a few spaniels over the years.  They were great pets and also loved outdoor activities, so, I tried to adopt a cocker spaniel named Toby from a local rescue organization. The excitement felt when my application was approved incited me to visit the pet store where I bought all the stuff Toby would need like food, snacks, bowls, crate, toys, grooming tools, etc. The next day, I find out Toby’s foster mom wouldn’t let me have him because she thought I was too inexperienced to take care of an older dog (7 yrs) with a back problem. I was so angry about it that I wrote a nasty email to the rescue people and sulked around for 3 days. On the third day (not kidding…it was literally 3 days) this skinny little shy pup appeared in my driveway on Lunar drive in Austin (the house that I would soon be evicted from due to a wrongful foreclosure). He had only a rabies tag and he looked young…maybe one to two yrs. He wouldn’t approach right away but had a smile on his face, so I sat down and tried to get him to come over. He got close but then ran off and scooted around the corner. I sat there for 2 or 3 minutes to see if he would come back. Eventually he did and slowly came close enough to let me pet him. Instantly we were best friends. He followed me around to the back yard and inside the house without hesitation. I unpacked all the stuff I had bought for Toby and figured that with no tag, my new friend must be a stray and was probably very hungry. Before I could get the bowl on the floor he was fighting his way past me to get access. He scarfed it down way too fast and then got a big drink of water. Using the number on the rabies tag, I tracked down his previous owner, found out his name was Snoopy, and that he was one of 6 in a litter. The household where he was born, had given him away to someone who promptly abandoned him. I told his former momma that he was an awesome dog and that I wanted to keep him. She agreed that Snoop found me and that all would be right with the world if he stayed. Since then, we’ve been evicted together, couch surfed in rough conditions for 7 months, been kicked out of two houses and both suffer discrimination because we’re misunderstood. A wise man once said, “No body knows you when you’re down and out”. Very true….unless you have a dog.

– me and Snoop visiting family in east Texas a couple month before eviction