Miley’s Eyes

My dog is always judging me

Image my own.

I realized that I felt less lonely when my dog Miley was living with me.

Miley was an 8 pound, 16 year-old Chihuahua mix from the mean streets of Riverside, California. The humane shelter had named her Mamacita because when they found her she had just given birth. I adopted her when she was four years old and she has been a loyal friend to me ever since.

She had been living with my ex-husband Mike for a while because I worried that she was causing me added stress. On previous visits, if I had to be gone for much of the day, she would punish me by pooping on my rug.

Now, however, I felt the importance of being responsible for something. I had the obligation to keep another creature alive. Seeing that her life was continuing on as normal gave me hope.

If this animal can deal with life, then so can I.

She was tough, and I felt protected when she barked.

Sometimes Miley would stand in front of me and stare into my eyes until one of us blinked or looked away. It was usually me.

I didn’t know what that dog saw in my eyes but I knew it was something. This dog could sense bad energy from a mile away. She especially didn’t like that Rafael guy who came over on occasion…