"I wasn't looking for a long dog. I knew little about dachshunds, that odd-shaped breed with short legs and suspicious eyes. But during pandemic lockdowns I began scrolling PetRescue the way friends were swiping Tinder, and with just as little luck. So when I spotted her, I prepared for disappointment. I had recently been ghosted by an elderly chap with a heart condition. I had visions of giving him his golden senior years; he had better prospects. Yet, somehow, McKenzie was suddenly mine."
"Before I adopted McKenzie, I thought I wanted a happy lapdog. A best friend. I named my imaginary dog Mr Cookie a scruffy, cheerful, ball-chasing dog. Maybe not the brightest banana, but so smiley. Instead I got this mournful-looking hound whose eyes speak of existential crisis. McKenzie doesn't chase balls. Despite being one-foot tall, she hunts cats, cars, skateboarders and drones indiscriminately. In the dog park she shouts at dogs 10 times her size like a short, angry German personal trainer."
A person adopted McKenzie during pandemic lockdowns after browsing PetRescue and expecting disappointment. The adopter had planned to provide a home for an older dog but unexpectedly took McKenzie, a dachshund, home as their first dog. Initial worries included training, barking and housebreaking. McKenzie resisted sleeping elsewhere and repeatedly climbed into bed, prompting immediate affection. Mornings revealed her tucked under the covers with paws and splayed ears. McKenzie proved not to be a typical lapdog; she has a mournful expression, exuberant chasing of cats, cars, skateboarders and drones, loud park behavior, and severe separation anxiety that causes pacing, howling and door-scratching.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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