08/14/2026
Day 5 of getting to know Ashley!
Who was your first dog?
My first “all-my-own” dog was Biggie. He certainly wasn’t the brightest, or the prettiest, but he was all mine and he loved with all his heart.
I met Biggie back in 2011 while working at an animal shelter. He, along with several other dogs and puppies, had come in as part of a local cruelty/hoarding case. Biggie and his brother, Gremlin, had both sustained chemical burns, with Biggie having the worst of it. He had burns covering most of his face, as well as peppered across his shoulders, back and paws.
He was also a nervous guy, and because of that, he struggled to find his people at the shelter. He sat there for seven months, watching everyone else get passed over while I grew closer and closer to him. I’d spend my lunch breaks sitting in his kennel, take him out for hikes in the woods, and basically find any excuse I could to spend time with him.
I still lived with my parents at the time, so as much as I desperately wanted to bring him home, it just wasn’t possible.
Then came Christmas Day 2011. Biggie was scheduled to meet some potential adopters and their two dogs. I was so happy for him, but also completely devastated at the thought of not getting to see him every day anymore.
As I brought Biggie in to meet his new family, I walked in to find my own parents, my sister and our family dogs waiting there.
My wonderful parents had arranged with my boss at the shelter to adopt Biggie for me as my Christmas present.
To this day, it was the best present I’ve ever gotten.
Sadly, I lost Biggie to cancer in 2021. But I’ll always be grateful that I got those years with him
