Hi. Meet Vina, my little bundle of love. Vina chose ME when I visited Joyce's home in February 2005. When Vina saw me, she walked over and sat on my lap, which was very unusual per Joyce. Anyhow, I decided that Vina was just the right size (and cute), and she became my new permanent companion. Vina was extremely scared and shy at first - I admit at first it was frustrating because I felt her fear. She was very skiddish and was absolutely terrified of a leash. She would run and yipe bloody murder if anyone took just one step too close to her (sometimes even me). Through the entire bonding process, Joyce was great and continued to coach me along the way, and reassure me that time, patience and tons of love would help Vina recover from her unpleasant past life. As time went on Vina learned to trust me, and others. Now I can pick her up, or take her for long walks if I want - she sees the leash as a positive thing. We recently walked 5 miles and she was a trooper (that's like 20 miles for a 10 pound dog). She behaves very well when we see other dogs - I think she likes them more than people. We go many places together so I can socialize her. Thankfully, though unusual, Vina has NEVER acted like a terror or destroyed the yard. She has never and will not play with toys - she's too sophisticated for that. Rather she'll look at me like "what the heck do you expect me to do with THAT?" She has never chewed up anything or scared away my mailman. Basically Vina just likes to be near me, so I can rub her belly or her ears. The look on her face when we cuddle is like "you're the BEST". She lets me do just about anything I want to her, even though she doesn't always like the camera. She is very spoiled now, and has a few outfits for special occasions, gets her nails clipped regularly, enjoys car rides, gets a chicken jerky 3 times a week, goes on walks with me, and her favorite part of life in my opinion is her nightly electric blanket. She loves sunbathing too. I love this dog so much it almost makes me cry. Joyce helped me realize that in the end it's all worth it. I'm glad I believed.
-- Madelynn
