Happy Birthday, Jelly: Celebrating 14 Years With Me

Hi, I’m Allison! Read my introduction to learn more about me and my three mixed-breed dogs from Thailand, Jelly, Lorraina, and Manic.

Does anyone else celebrate their dog’s birthday? I have seen people go all out with parties for their pooches: making dog-safe cakes, having them wear little birthday hats, doing photoshoots, etc. It looks like so much fun! Other people might like simplicity regarding canine birthday celebrations. Giving them a special treat, a brand new toy, and singing “Happy Birthday” fits the bill.

On Jelly’s birthday, I think about all our years together and tell her how thankful I am to have her with me.

Jelly’s Origin: A Big Mystery

September 9th is Jelly’s birthday. Well, whether that was the exact date of her birth remains in question. I just guessed her age when I got her. Just before Halloween, a colleague of mine adopted a small brown puppy from the animal clinic on the island. He told me four others were available—and Jelly was part of that litter.

Jelly and her siblings were found in the jungle, mother nowhere in sight. Volunteers gathered them up and brought them to the clinic for care. Sadly, it is not uncommon for mothers to leave their litters. Some fall ill, others get hit by motorbikes. Some just disappear.

Since my colleague’s puppy was so adorable, my husband and I went to see the rest of the litter. By the time we got there, one had already been adopted, leaving three left. We entered their enclosure, and two ran up to me, jumping, wagging their tails, and pulling on my shirt. At that moment, I considered getting TWO puppies. But my eyes found the other puppy sitting by herself in a dustpan. I went up to her and stuck out my hand. She lifted her fat paw and put it in mine.

And that was it. She chose me, and I took her home. We named her Jelly because the pads of her feet were soft like jelly candies. Of course, as she aged, her pads got rougher. A friend asked me if we would change her name as her pads got rougher. I think not.

Her First Night in Her New Home

We made her a bed from an old dresser drawer and a towel. We did not know what kind of toys to get for a puppy since dog toys were generally limited on the island (this was before ordering things online was easy). So, we bought her a baby sponge with a duck on it.

Despite me having her bed right next to ours on the floor, Jelly whined and tried to climb in with me. But she was too small to jump into our bed, so she dug her claws into the mattress and pulled herself up. Once on the bed, she climbed between me and my husband and fell into a deep sleep.

Fourteen years later, she still sleeps between us—that is until Manic started sleeping on the bed. Jelly, albeit somewhat reluctantly, would move to her bed on the floor. But during the day, I can find her in my office, sleeping in a small dog bed I put in there. She is my shadow.

Happy Birthday, Jelly. I Love You

Celebrating your dog’s birthday is both heartwarming and worrying—at least for me. My girl is 14 years old. For a medium-sized dog, that is a pretty good age! But she is healthy and happy. She gets good food, water, multivitamins for seniors, and exercise. And most of all, she is loved. She is loved so dearly. Dogs are not just our best friends for the time we have them; we are their best friends for their entire lives.

Happy birthday, Jelly. I love you.