A Craigslist Ad

For as long as I can remember I had always wanted a chihuahua. Something about small dogs always intrigued me. When I was younger I had two stuffed chihuahuas, Tatuski and Pip. I'd take them everywhere with me and pretend they were real. Eventually, they got lost and I grew out of my stuffed animal phase, but never gave up on wanting a real chihuahua. Everyone in my family always hated chihuahuas and referred to them as "ankle-biters" or "rat dogs" so it was pretty suprising when my mom came home one day and had a small brown chihuahua with a red collar named Scrappy-Doo that she found on Craigslist for $50.

At first,"Scrappy-Doo" or Charlie as we call him now, was scared and a bit aggressive. He'd growl and kind of lunge at you if you went to pet him but it was understandable. Charlie came from a bad home and his entire life got uprooted. For the majority of the day I was so happy and excited and just sat with him and fed him treats hoping he'd like me the most. Around five o'clock I thought it would be a good idea to take him on a walk. At the time we had another dog, Maya she was a mutt and didn't really run off so we didn't have a leash for her. I substituted the leash for a piece of ribbon which was a terrible mistake.

Once I got the ribbon attached to his collar I took him outside. He somehow got away and took off. My oldest brother, Brady, and I looked everywhere, Brady even went a half-mile up the road. I began to freak out and cry when I saw him. Charlie was hiding next to a piece of wood which was almost the exact same color as him. After that, I made sure that I used a leash.

Later that day My mother and I were sitting in the living room. I asked her if I could name him so we were talking about making a list of names when I got the perfect one in mind. Charlie! I don't know why I chose that name but it just seemed to fit him perfectly. After we decided on the name I was watching tv and the next thing I knew he ran over to me and hoped in my lap clinging to me like I was a magnet. Since then he has always stayed near me and made sure to keep me safe to the best of his abilities.

Nevertheless, he has wormed his way into everyone's heart and is the absolute sweetest dog you could ever meet. Charlie can be a bit of a jerk at times but he's a lifelong companion. Although things have changed since we got him though. Maya passed away in 2017 which sent him into a state of depression, but we rescued another dog in 2020, Molly. Charlie and Molly have grown close in the eight months we've had her. They both share a love for cheese, any and all kinds. Molly has picked up a few things from Charlie, like jumping on us, its funny because Charlie is this small dog and Molly is six times bigger than him so she almost knocks us over. And whenever Charlie yawns he makes this sound it's like he's got a furball in his throat, now whenever Molly yawns she makes her own sound. Somedays he'll lay in the windowsill others he'll curl up under the covers, he'll even curl up in between your legs.

Charlie was no doubt the best thing that could've happened to my family. His adorable self can brighten anyone's day. Charlie has found his lifelong home and family all thanks to a Craigslist ad.