Quinn's Story

Wee Quinn Campbell (formerly AJ from Iowa) is settling in nicely. Losing my sweet old Booker was more devastating than I could imagine, so I surprised myself when I saw the little Iowa street urchin online and just had to learn more about him!

My family had suffered a year of many deaths, culminating with the death of my father in late October. After losing Booker in March, I was just plain tired of being sad! I knew I would have another Westie, but didn't know how soon it would be. Foster Carol, Kris and Angie all think this little guy was just waiting for me - and I think so, too! I picked him up exactly 6 months to the day I lost my dad....not only was Quinn waiting for me, but I also think Booker and Dad sent him to me! Those two very special men in my life knew I needed a new special man.

Having this 'energizer bunny' has been an emotional uplift that few people would understand. Working with rescue, the older dogs always steal my heart - and that's what I just assumed I would get....who would have thought I would end up with a young, wild thing? ha! Quinn makes me laugh with his antics and he and HobieCat are doing amazingly well together! Quinn loves his doggy day care pals, has met many neighbors and has already begun his new social life with our Westie group. Will Rogers' quote "I never met a man I didn't like" is now Quinn's quote - "I never met a dog I didn't like".

I realized that I don't HAVE to "let go" of Booker and I do what I have always told others to do - "mourn one while you love a new one". And with Quinn around, I don't have time to do any mourning! Thank you for all you do - and thank you for allowing me to adopt Quinn! One again, my life is balanced.

Sue

Update 2/6/09

Dear WRM, Mom wrote about me shortly after I came to live with her in Minnesota but she has decided to let ME write an update.

I came here in late April ('08) and my life has been a whirlwind ever since - because I'm so active it's like a whirlwind within a whirlwind! I share my new home with Hobart the Ragdoll Cat. He's bigger than me! We have become really good pals - he likes to rub up against me and swish his tail in my face. Sometimes we chase each other, too.

I have a good Westie pal that is a neighbor - we see each other just about every day. He's an older gent and mom says he is "tolerant" of me. Don't know what that means, but I DO know that Dashiell loves to wrestle and zoom with me. He hardly ever barks when I chew on his ears or bite his legs. Mom and I pick him up every Wednesday morning at 7 am in the little white bus (my mom's car) and we go to Doggy Day Care together. He's just loads of fun. Other neighbors I have met are Abby the Black Lab - she's BIG LOADS of wild fun, Sammi the Heinz 57, Lucy the Terrier Poodle mix and Taz & Thor the snorty Pugs. I briefly met Miss Ashleigh the Persian cat but she decided we couldn't be friends. Hmpf!

Doggy Day Care is at our friend Sharon's house and it's usually 5 Westies - sometimes an extra one is there and then there's Chessie the Wild Hair Terrier....oh, I guess that's Wire Hair Terrier. Anyway, Chessie is 12 and bossy! Sometime Buddy the Beagle is there and I just can't resist chewing on his long ears when we play. Buddy is a great guy. I love going to Sharon's house. The yard is HUGE and her husband Ken is tired so doesn't go to work anymore. Ken said I am his little assistant; I'm always right at his heels in case he needs me to help him with anything, but I'm not allowed in the garden to help. What's up with THAT? Terriers = Dirt Doesn't he know that???

I also have another good neighbor friend. Her name is Aliya and she is almost 2 years old. She and her mom come over to see me a couple days each week. Aliya can say my name perfectly now! She used to call me "Kin" - now she says "Quinn - Out". She likes to give me hugs and kisses. I get a little embarrassed but I let her. Another good neighbor is Mr. Bill. He takes me out if mom can't get home in time. Mr. Bill is one of my favorite guys.

I have done some traveling these past months! Besides trips to Buffalo, MN to visit friends, I've been to South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and even back to Iowa! Visiting the relatives is fun because there's always somebody to play with me and there's a cat named Kashmir that thinks I'm just the best - she and I became best friends at Christmas. My Grama is great, too - she lets me up on her furniture and she feeds me snacks.

My social life is big! I have gone on some big group walks with other Westies, been to doggie fund raisers, got my picture taken with Santa, and even marched in a parade! The excitement just never ends.

The biggest news I have to report is that I now have a title! In October, after 16 weeks of going to school, I took a test and now I have my AKC Canine Good Citizen certificate! My mom and I were so proud - I loved school and did well. Mom and I even wrote a book about going to school and I demonstrated basic obedience in front of lots of people at a rescue fund raiser. People couldn't believe that only months earlier I had been a skinny urchin with no family walking the streets.

Mom tells me there's more fun coming - she said my life has just begun. I love my mom. She and I both think we are "quite a pair" !!

Thank you to WRM for finding my mom for me!

Your friend,
Wee Quinn Campbell
(You can call me Quinn)