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Likes: Playing with Daddy, his toys, doing "zoomies," cuddling, running on walks.
Pet-Peeves: He doesn't like being brushed, being left home alone, or getting his feet wet. He doesn't like noise in the halls and is afraid of sprays. He doesn't like that he can't climb trees to catch the squirrels.
Favorite Toy: His squeaky Matzoh Ball is his favorite toy. He has a million toys and plays with all of them. He treats teddy bears special (more gently). He has about 6 toys that he found his first week here (we believe they are gifts from Poochie).
Favorite Food: Benny eats Natural Balance Organic Kibble. He will eat green beans & peas but he refuses to go veg with us so he gets organic, non-GMO food.
Favorite Walk: Walking around the neighborhood, looking for squirrels, birds and cats to chase.
Best Tricks: Benny can sit, stand, roll over, and shake hands. He can leap tall couches and beds in a single bound. He can zoom through the house faster than a speeding greyhound. His best trick is getting you to not kill him when you catch him doing something bad.
Arrival Story: After the death of my forever heart dog, Poochie, I began looking at shelter dogs online. It made me feel worse - I couldn't save my Poochie and I couldn't save all those dogs. After letting two opportunities to get 4-month old Westie puppies go because I wasn't ready yet, I saw this little dog online. He looked like a Westie but shrunken into a tiny package. They said he didn't like big dogs and got nippy with them. I filled out the application but didn't send it in. The shelter said they had a tremendous response for this dog so they were going to review all the applications for a week. Late on Friday, I emailed it in. I filled it out sparsely with no mention of how much I loved and spoiled Poochie. I was hoping (I think) that my application wouldn't be chosen but I could say I tried. However, the shelter called and said he was ours if we wanted him. It was a hard decision to make because I am still grieving my Poochie but I felt bad for this baby who had no home. We went to the shelter to see him on 10/27/06 and he was so cute, like a Westie puppy but skinny and with longer legs. At that moment there was nothing to think about. He finally had a home.
Bio: We don't know Benoni's history except that he was picked up as a stray in Long Island. He ended up in an overcrowded kill-pound and then when his "time was up" was taken to a rescue shelter where he was a 6 lb. baby surrounded by cats and all big dogs for over a month. Benny swears they all instigated the fights and he was just defending himself and he was framed.
The shelter said he was Westie mix. We think he's a Westie/Maltese mix. He was probably 1 and 1/2 or 2 years old. He was all bones but now he's a little over 9 lbs of solid muscle.
Benoni is completely different from when we adopted him. After two months he gave us our first kisses but he was still distant. He now cuddles and gives us tons of kisses everyday. He used to be afraid of other dogs, animals and people and would shake, whimper, scream and cry but now he enjoys meeting other dogs when out on walks and loves atttention from people. He's become the most popular dog in the neighborhood. He no longer barks at us (too much) or bites our hands when playing or when he wants something. We believe the change is due to both Benoni's coming to feel safe and secure in his new forever home and all the things we learned by reading many books on understanding reactivity, dog behavior and calming signals, and of course, tons of love!
Benoni means "son of my sorrow." It is the name Rachel gave to her son as she died from childbirth. Jacob thought it was ill-omened and changed his name to Benjamin. I found the name appropriate as my Hebrew name is Rachel and he became my son out of my sorrow of losing Poochie. We call him Benny and in Hebrew, that means "my son." Benoni may have come to us out of our sorrow but he is now the silver lining that emerged from our dark cloud.
Forums Motto: I didn't do it. I wuz framed. Dogster Local Spots I've Marked: Animal Lover The Groups I'm In: "DOGSTERHOLICS", ~*~Princess Divas ~&~ Prince Charmings!~*~, Beautiful Bronx Babies (B3), Jewish Kitty/ Pup households, Matzos Kitties Chevarim, New Site Homepage! Sweet!, New York Pooches, The Cutest Westies, Tofu ♦ Pups - A Vegetarian D☮g Community, Top Terriers, Victor's Wish, West Highland Terriers, ~Westieville~, ~~~*♥Dog Park USA♥*~~~
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Finally....I thought it would never get here. But it did. Today is my birthday.
I am 4 years old...or at least that's what Mommy and Daddy think. They don't know. Nobody knows what day my birthday really is 'cause they didn't know in the orphanage where Mommy and Daddy 'dopted me from. But Mommy gave me the same birthday as her Grandpa 'cause she says he was a good guy who loved her and doggies and all animals.
That's cool with me to have my Great Grandpa's birthday but I say, since they don't know which day is REALLY my birthday, they should celebrate EVERYDAY 'cause everyday COULD be my birthday...they don't know and they might miss it. So I should get a present every single day, just in case. Makes sense to me but they haven't gotten with the program yet....sigh...
I think they got somethin' special planned for today though. We are going somewhere, maybe Central Park, and then a cake and candles and PRESENTS when we get home. Hope Mommy didn't get me no stupid clothes. Yuck!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEEEEEEEE
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!!
This summer Mommy and Daddy have been taking me to a lotta dog fairs and walkathons. They want me to go see lotsa places and meet other pups and the charity helps out shelter doggies (like I used to be).
Yesterday we went to Hounds on the Sound in Port Jefferson. Mommy "convinced" Daddy that we should enter the dog/owner look-a-like contest and WE WON!!!!
I got a purple ribbon that says "1st" and some guy took our picture and got our names so I'm pretty sure I'm gonna get famous now. I just hope the pupparazzi doesn't get outa control!! A guy needs his privacy sometimes too, ya know.
Daddy's really lucky to have hair that looks like mine...at least, that's what Mommy says (she loves her men with white hair :) She says me and Daddy were always 1st place winners to her but it's nice to have the public recognition too. This is a great way to start my birthday week!!!!
Today is my 2nd Benniversary. It's been 2 years since my Mommy and Daddy 'dopted me and I got a Forever Family.
I remember just 2 years ago, I was on the street, lost and cold and hungry and scared. Then I got picked up and put in the prison pound where they was gonna kill me, just for being lost!! Then the nice people at Animal Lovers League took me and kept me for a month.
My sister Poochie who went to the Bridge just a month before came to me at night while I was in the prison. She was the most beautiful angel I'd ever seen!!! She said she would make me a deal. She needed someone to take care of her Mommy and Daddy 'cause she couldn't no more and in exchange, she would save me. I took the deal, I'm no dummy! So I got saved and went to the shelter for a month 'cause Mommy and Daddy weren't ready for me yet. My sister promised me they would come for me and on October 27, 2006 they did. They came to the shelter and took me to my new Forever Home.
It was a rough time. I was traumatized and scared of everything. Mommy was hurting really bad 'cause of losing Poochie and she didn't like me much. Daddy was nice to me from the start. My angel sister would come to me at night and tell me how I had to learn to give kissies and lickies and cuddlies so I could help my Mommy and Daddy heal. After a coupla months, I learned it!! Little by little, I got less scared and Mommy and Daddy got more smiley. It's been the best 2 years of my little life.
Thank you Animal Lovers League for rescuing me from the prison. Thank you Mommy and Daddy for adopting me and giving me the BESTEST life!! Most of all, thank you Poochie for making that deal with me and sharing your Mommy and Daddy and home with me. I love having a Forever Family!!
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