Tess

Born February 5, 1992

Tess, TT

Tess is our first dog.  She was abandoned at the vet clinic where Crissy worked...the second Tess was dropped off at the clinic...we both knew she was our dog.  Nobody claimed her and that amazing little puppy came home.

Tess has been an amazing teacher.  She taught us so much about "dogs" and got us hooked on training. Everyday she’d learn something new and have the best time doing it. We were...beyond hooked! With her, we found out about competition obedience, agility and flyball. She was a natural. Sandy even took her into the UKC obedience ring. She could do anything… unfortunately her little body couldn’t. She has 2 legs on her U-CD, almost had her FD (Flyball Dog) and came really close to her ADC (Agilty Dog of Canada). She still thinks she can do anything and everything. We keep having to tell her that she can’t climb trees anymore!

Tess always had some physical problems to deal with (she’s had hip surgery, back surgery, knee surgery, dental surgery-which is pretty major since not that many of her adult teeth came in to begin with!) and it’s because of her that we have looked for better ways to help her with her arthritis, seizures, vaccine reactions, etc. It was because of her that we found out about feeding raw food, that we had to educate ourselves about vaccines, homeopathy, acupuncture, and whatever else we needed to try to keep her comfortable and happy enough to keep the cats and the rest of the dogs in line.  

Now, at 13 years old...she's still going strong... keeping up with us on our hikes, barking her head off, chasing joggers (this must be a second childhood...and the chase is more like jogger tipping!), swimming, and chasing the cats around...and boy does she love her food...

Full Name: Tess

Call Name: Tess

Nicknames: The Sheriff, Little Testarosa, Tiny Teddy, The littlest Battista

Born: February 5, 1992

Breed: Little Black Dog

Color: Black...now salt and pepper-y

Adopted: Highlands Animal Hospital

Height: 11"

Weight: 12lbs.

Favorite Treat: Liver Brownies

Best Trick: Climbing trees

Next Best Trick: Bang...you're dead!

Favorite Toys: Little squeaky pig, Squeaky flower ball

Favorite Indoor Game: Find it

Favorite Outdoor Game: Swimming for her red ball

Favorite Food: EVERYTHING!

Tess is a very special dog. She has a big heart, indescribable courage, a great sense of responsibility and a vibrant sense of humor. Her graciousness in the face of all her pain…is a testament to the true perfection of what it is that we love and admire most in a dog. She cherishes every moment for exactly what it is...perfect. And we cherish every moment with her.

Sweet dreams...

All tucked in...

Tess cornering at 12 years old...a blur of motion! he he...