Marty

“Marty here. I’m just about 10 years old now which makes me about the same age as my Mom in little-dog years. I used to miss Mom a lot when she’d go to work, and I’d spend the day on my home destruction projects to take my mind off of being alone.

She now takes me to the Big Backyard where they are fluent in dog! Everyone knows my name when they greet me in the morning, but even more important – they’ve taken the time to get to know me. They get that sometimes I want to hang out with the little dogs, sometimes the big dogs suit my mood better, and sometimes I just want to nap in the sun. They notice when a little bump is new or different and make sure to ask my Mom if she’s noticed it when she picks me up. They know that when the thunderstorms start rolling in, they need to get me suited up in my Thundershirt before I start to tremble (ok, panic). And if I’m still a little scared, there’s always someone there to pick me up and remind me of how brave I can be.

To sum it up, The Big Backyard is the family we’ve chosen – and they embrace both of us every day I spend with them.”