A New Leash on Life From Chicken Soup for the Soul: A Book of Christmas Miracles By Adrienne A. Aguirre Dogs bring out the best in us. ~Author Unknown "Mom! Get your dog off me!" I yelled, two seconds after walking through her door. It was Christmas Eve, one of the few days a year when I dress up. My thirteen-year-old daughter Desirée and I had arrived to pick my mom up for church, and before I even closed the door behind me, my mom's Shih Tzu, Verdell, had gotten her light-gray hair all over my nice black pants. Instead of pulling Verdell away with both hands and messing up her own clothes, my mom grabbed the dog's collar with her index finger. Verdell was so excited to see us that she spun around in circles trying to free herself. But instead of freeing herself, she twisted the collar around my mother's finger, tightening it more. My mother's finger was stuck and Verdell couldn't breathe. (Keep reading) |