The Day I got my name...Van Etten's Waltzing Matlida: affectionately know as Wonkie Eye!

Editor's Note: This is the story of how I found Tilly and the day she came home to live at the Jersey Shore! This tale is really about seeing the beauty within and looking beyond what some may consider a "defect!" Enjoy!

showing off my beautiful "wonkie" eye

Playing hide and go seek at my new house!

thanking Alison for looking past my "defective wonkie" eye!

Hello everyone it is me Tilly and today is a very special day for me, I am meeting my new family, or at least the people I hope will be my new family. I had heard some chatting in the other room earlier about two people coming to check us puppies out! YIPPEE! YAHOO! Is today the day I get to go on my first adventure? Oh,  I hope so!! The thing is, I think this couple is coming to meet my brother. Don't be nervous, I know that once they get a look at my mug they will scoop me up and take me right home with them. My brother is so goofy and dumb they will never choose him over me...humpf!

It is around noon on a very hot and humid day in August. My sister, brother, and me just turned 4 months old and we are relaxing in our crate together, waiting and waiting for our visitors to come. Just when I was about to nod off I heard the doorbell ring...

DING DONG. Oh my goodness, they're here, they're here!!!

Everyone get up, THEY'RE HERE!!! BARK...BARK...BARK!!!

We all sat up and were wiggling and prancing around in our crate. Even our Mom, Grandmother, and Dad were up and excited to see who was coming in the house. Then the door opened and this couple came in. There they were looking at us with big smiles on their faces.

"Hey over here! Look at me, look at me!!"

This couple was spending way too much time on my Mom and Dad. What are they looking at them for they are not going anywhere...humpf! My Dad was standing on his hind legs waving his front paws up int he air. This had the new people laughing and smiling. Then my Mom sat right down on the new lady's foot and she started to pet and love on my Mom.

What about Me? Look over here at Me!!!!

Just when I thought my chance was gone and that it was hopeless, we were let out of our crate and set free. Oh, now is my chance to shine!!! I ran around in circles at top speed! I knew this would impress them, definitely. Then I jumped on my brother and sister and started to gnaw on their rumps, and wrestle with them! We were rolling and rolling and growling and rolling some more and then someone opened the door, and we were free! WAHOO!!! Let's go! We all ran outside and I ran, and ran, and then ran some more. My brother and sister were trying to keep up with me but they are sooooo slow! I was running back and forth, to and fro. I ran in the baby pool and cooled down, and then I ran around the backyard some more. I was running and romping, and having such a good time that I almost forgot what I was supposed to be doing...ENAMORING MY NEW FAMILY!!! At that very moment I looked up and I saw those two people looking at my brother. They were holding him, and squeezing him and loving him to pieces. They were checking out his mouth and looking at him from head to toe. I stood at their feet and started to wiggle, but that didn't work...humpf. I even started to talk to them..."Hey down here...Look at me!!!" Bu tthat didn't work either. Then I stood up on my back legs and waved my front paws in the air, just like my Dad, and guess what that got their attention away from my stupid brother. They put him down and started to check me out. The touch me all over, and it tickled. They looked in my mouth and I heard that lady say, "Her jowls are much tighter than his!" Then she started asking about my eye. She said, "Why are you letting her go, now? I thought she was show-quality? Is her eye, ok? Can she see? Will there be any future issues with her eye?" WHAT THE HECK IS THIS LADY TALKING ABOUT!? Why is she so interested in my stinking eye? Well everyone, I am not sure if you realized this but my one eye is still blue, it never turned brown. That is not the "breed standard" and is not looked upon well. Some people even think it is ugly. Can you believe that? I mean look at me. How could anything about me be UGLY!!!! At the very tippy top, of my eye, it is brown, but the rest is the color of ice! My other eye is a deep brown but not my right one it is so light it is almost transparent! I don't know what all of the fuss is about...so what, who cares, it is just a different color, that is all...humpf. Then I heard the breeder tell these people that they were hoping to keep me to show and to have puppies, but because of that defective eye they can not. What the heck is that supposed to mean. I am still fun, and cute, snuggly, and squishy! Who cares if my eye is blue? Well I guess a lot of people care, because so many people have overlooked me because I am different.

I walked away from everyone with my head a bit lower and my gate a bit slower. But then I heard that nice lady say, "WE'LL TAKE HER!!!!"

They want me! Oh my goodness, they want me!!! YIPPEE...YIPPEE!!! They want me!

And do you know why they wanted me because of my "wonkie" blue eye! I guess they are the perfect family for me, because they see my difference as something beautiful, not a defect at all. I am so happy that they fell in love with me and I know that I will have so many fun adventures ahead of me. And with a wave to my fur-family, and a squeeze from the breeder I was off to the Jersey Shore and my new home. YIPPPEEEEE!!!!