Pirate lived most of her life with a homeless woman in downtown LA until one day she could no longer care for her. Downtown Dog Rescue took Pirate into our kennel until she was adopted.
PIRATE by Christine Ishii
After the devastating loss of my first love, my first baby, Tre, who had been with me through the toughest years of my life, as well as the happiest years of my life, I had decided that there was no other dog who would ever replace him; and even if I wanted to, my busy lifestyle wouldn’t allow me to take the time necessary to raise another puppy the way I had with him.
Somehow, my friend June got in touch with me and told me about Pirate, and older but very smart dog, who needed a home. It took a while for me to agree to meet her because the hurt from the loss of Tre was so deep, but I felt a void in my life and had been wanting another dog so I finally agreed to meet Lori and Pirate.
My first meeting with Pirate was awesome. It was evident that she was a very wise dog, with a lot of soul, in fact, I don’t think she knows she is a dog! Her amazing energy and social personality drew me to her, immediately, and I respected her strong, individual personality, and I believe we were meant to be together.
Pirate has been with us for a wonderful 2 years now, and not only runs errands with us regularly, but also attends basketball practices with my daughters, Halloween parties, trips to Big Bear, and aiding in fostering “Lucky”, who gifted us with the surprise of 9 pups, all who see Pirate as their 2nd Mama. She has, without a doubt, made her way into our world, without much adjustment and has blessed us with her loving ways.
One of the most amazing things about Pirate is the relationship she has with my girls, Miya (10) and Ami (7). She helps bring peace in my house when my girls argue by somehow distracting one of them to spend time with her. She calms them down by sitting next to them and pawing at them or rolling on to her back, asking for a belly rub, or just sitting or laying at their feet while they sit on the front steps. My daughters and Pirate can be seen running to the river-walk near my house, where they take walks.
When watching them together, it’s like something you would see in a movie…in fact, Pirate is that dog that all kids see in the movies and wished they could have. We have the real deal! They also like playing sneaky tricks on me… The 3 of them have all secretly decided that they will sleep together once I’m asleep. The girls set up their beds, with a special blanket for Pirate to lay on so that when I fall asleep, Pirate can sneak into their room and jump on their bed to sleep with them. I wake them up in the morning with a smirk on my face, and all 3 of my girls are giggling at me, knowing they got away with it!
She has also made her way on the basketball court with Miya’s basketball team and has charmed the most fearful parent into loving her! Pirate refuses to have anyone afraid of her and is a pro at gently working her way to get her way! She had one mom standing on chairs, screaming at the first sight of her, to finally getting friendly pats on the head and a “hi Pirate, good girl”. It took a few introductions, but by gently greeting that mom every week, sitting next to her, then working her way to laying on her feet, then sitting next to her and giving her a paw, or shrugging her arm, Pirate was adamant about making this mom like her and it worked!
She’s sad when Miya and Ami go to their father’s house for a few days. The first few weeks she was with us, she would circle my car a few times looking for them, then when she realized they were not with us, she would pout for a while, then go back to being herself. She and I realize that we can spend quiet time together without the girls. She reads people and understands our needs, and helps us to get through situations with her caring ways. She helps us take care of our doggy guests, and even helps to mother pups, when its too much for the real mom. She brings a smile to everyone’s face when she walks into a room. She greets people with a big smile, slanted eyes, and a heavy romp; one can’t help but to feel her warm welcome.
She is our Mama dog, who takes care of all of us. She mends ugly situations between angry sisters, heals hurt feelings when one of the girls are in trouble, plays with a hearty soul, loves unconditionally, and lights up a room, even when she isn’t in the mood. She’s part of the family, and we are so thankful to have her. Thank you, Lori and Downtown Dogs.