Lobito: The great escape artist

Lobito (which means little wolf) is a white male Chihuahua with short legs and really bad breath that smells like a dead rat. He just walks and does not bark too much; also he is blind at night. We celebrated his 15th birthday on Sept. 24.
Lobito came into my life at the perfect time when I most needed comfort as I was battling breast cancer. At first, I saw him only as a pet. Eventually he became like another member of my family, and now he is my doggie son. When we first met, he barked at me; over time those barks become tongue kisses.
On his second day at home, we went to the pet store, and he walked out wearing a nice blue sweater and a brown collar holding a new tag with his new name and address. Not sure if the collar was kind of uncomfortable for him, but his tag has saved him a couple of times. There have been many occasions in which his tag has brought him back home to me.
The first time at my sister’s house Lobito seemed like a magician! He escaped out of the yard, trying to follow me. Fortunately for him, there are always kind people who call to let me know where he is. The last time it happened, he was sleeping at home. The handyman was working out in the backyard, and he left the gate open, but didn’t notice that Lobito found a way to go out and pee on the neighbor’s yard. The neighbor, an older lady, called to inform me that my dog was at her house. I thanked her for calling me but told her that I didn’t give Lobito permission to be at her house. After she finished laughing, I asked her if she could please take my Lobito back to his house.
There is one memory that I will never forget. We were in San Diego at my friend’s house who has a swimming pool. I left him in the back yard with my friend’s two Chihuahuas because I had to go to work. Before I left, I saw that they were playing and having fun, so I left happy. When I reached the car, I got a bad feeling about him. I turned off the car and went back inside the house to make sure he was fine. I saw the other two Chihuahuas but not my Lobito. I went to check out the swimming pool, and I felt my blood drop from my head to my feet. He was so tired swimming trying to get out of the pool. The pool didn’t have stairs to exit and he was swimming frantically, trying to stay above the water. When he saw me, he stopped swimming and the look in his eyes I will never forget. In that moment, I realized how important he is to me, and I to him.
– Maria Perez