Happy Mini – Winner of the Happy Dog Contest

Happy Mini – January Cover Girl

Mini is around 3 years old. I adopted her from a no-kill shelter, PAWS Chicago, on Easter Sunday where they estimated her to be six or seven months old.

She is very energetic and happy, and she shows it with her constantly wagging tail, her wiggly body and her loud talking (barking) whenever she sees a friend (old and new). We live in a high-rise condo building near Grant Park in Chicago. There’s a dog park in our neighborhood, and EVERYONE knows Mini! She is very vocal and is a herder, probably with a lot of Border Collie in her.

So when one of her friends leaves the park after playing for a while, Mini jumps up on a bench (meant for people to sit) and over the fence to chase her friend home or try to get them to come back and play some more. She’s a bit of a control freak, and there’s no keeping her contained.

Mini was meant to be with me. Before her, I had a slender black dog who was probably also a Border Collie or Flat Coated Retriever mix. I adopted ‘Mickey’ from a friend when she was five years old. She lived to be 17 before I had to make the excruciatingly difficult quality-of-life decision. I was without a dog for a little over a year when I started volunteering at my local shelter.

I did not think I was ready to adopt another dog yet due to my extensive work hours, but then Mini came into my life. I first saw her picture online and thought that she looked just like my Mickey. When we met at the shelter a few days later, she jumped up and gave me a hug with her two front paws on my shoulders. It was love at first sight and hug. The rest is history.

I named her “Mini-Mic” after her beloved predecessor, Mickey. She is a wonderful, lovable best friend

Debbie and Mini won the December contest for the Happy Dog Photo. Debbie won a full membership to the online dog training and wellness club. Mini will be featured on the front cover of the January of our Digital Magazine.