By Jan Penton Miller
Columnist
The early morning’s crisp, cool air delights my senses as I sip a cup of steaming liquid gold. I
settle into my back porch rocker, noticing my feathered friends and playful squirrels have not yet
made an appearance. My face breaks out into a huge grin with the thought that this time
tomorrow a new fur baby will join the group.
Since my precious Missy passed on I’ve missed the pitter-patter of puppy feet joining me for
morning coffee. Although my girl was not a puppy anymore, the small stature of a mini-
dachshund creates this illusion.
The song “Forever Young” comes to mind because I imagine the old girl romping and playing
somewhere among the stars.
Within the last week or two I’ve been sneaking peeks at puppies on the Internet. The varieties
are endless, and I’ve seen pups advertised from Massachusetts to Mongolia. Actually Mongolia
is a bit of a stretch, but it sounded good! I did find an adorable doggie in my search, but when I
investigated further she was in Massachusetts. I know people ship dogs all over, but I prefer to
deal with somewhat local breeders.
The idea of picking up a puppy at the airport somehow doesn’t seem right for me. I think about
how the little girl would feel being crated and in a strange environment before finding her way
into my loving arms, and I don’t feel comfortable with the scenario. That’s one reason I wanted
to keep my search more localized. The other is that my southern roots want a southern puppy;
this way she will feel comfortable with my accent.
After my unsuccessful search I almost gave up for a while, but the smell of puppy breath
permeated my dreams. IYNYN (if you know, you know). I had only considered an AKC
registered dog, but decided to broaden my search to include CKC. When the most beautiful
little girl popped up in Walnut Grove, Mississippi, my heart almost bumped out of my chest. This
little lady’s picture practically leapt of the page, and she was already of adoption age. Maybe
she was waiting for me.
When I reached out and talked to her breeder I felt instantly comfortable. The name of the town
sounded familiar, and then realized it was from Little House on the Prairie, which I still like. I
looked the town up on Google. I found that it had a population of around 500 in 2020.
It suits me just fine to have a little southern country girl since we will have a lot in common from
the start, and I always enjoy a road trip to parts unknown so today is the day. This time
tomorrow I’ll be waking up with a new coffee-drinking buddy.

Once more I’ll listen to the sound of little paws padding beside me. A new pet just like a new
baby will bring a challenge or two, but the puppy love in my heart wins out every time.