Happy Birthday, Juno!

Happy, happy birthday to my sweet baby, Juno (aka June aka Junebug aka JB aka Bug aka J-bird aka Birdy aka angelface-lovemuffin-sweetheart-baby)!  My sweet girl turned 5 today.  She still is such a puppy that it’s hard to believe.  I’m trying to convince her that 5 year old dogs don’t jump on people, especially pregnant and elderly people, but she’s perfectly content acting like she’s 5 months old and that’s ok with me.

Paparazzi pic

For those of you who don’t know, June had another family before us.  The Kennedys in Athens, GA bought her from a breeder in Atlanta when she was 8 weeks old.  The Kennedys are apparently idiots and assholes because 3 months later they returned her to the breeder saying that they didn’t know how much work a puppy would be.  NOTHING makes me angrier than bad pet owners.  The family had three kids, ages 2, 4, and 6, and were not prepared for a puppy.  Sweet Baby June apparently knocked over their toddler once so they put her in a crate and basically never let her out.  They told the breeder that they would keep her crated up to 20 hours a day and then “she was crazy” when they’d let her out.  You think?  Morons!  They also wouldn’t let her off leash despite the fact they had several acres of property because they didn’t want her to go to the bathroom where the kids played.  So mean!  Can you imagine what a little 10 week old puppy must have thought about that arrangement?  In early April 2008, they gave up on her and returned her to the breeder.

We had just moved into our house and I was DETERMINED to get a second doodle, but wanted to adopt rather than buy like we did with Uma.  I was on some weird Labradoodle Message Board (don’t ask) and saw a desperate posting from the breeder in Atlanta.  I called her almost immediately and knew that Juno was my girl.  The woman was incredibly sweet, but also in a bind because she had two litters on the way and 5 month old, 40-pound June was not something she was able to take on.  I wouldn’t say June is a true “rescue dog” considering she came from a breeder, but I feel like I rescued her from the damn Kennedys and a lifetime of being neglected.

I met the breeder in Valdosta 2 days later and the rest is Garro family history.  She and Uma have been best friends since day one.  We’ve never had any aggression or dominance between the two….they just seem get along.  Juno WORSHIPS the ground Uma walks on.

Juno hasn’t always been the easiest dog to own (we definitely dealt with some of June’s destruction), but she always been easy to forgive and easy to love.  She is the most affectionate dog I have ever met and loves nothing more than to cuddle and kiss. 

Happy Birthday, my dear June.  I love you so.  You’re going to become a middle child soon, but will always be my baby.

One day old...Juno and her "biological mother," Kaylee

4 weeks old...June was originally just called "Teal Girl."  She was meant to be in Jax, right?

4 months old...her name with the Kennedys was Stella.  This was the first picture I ever saw of her.  I didn't have a choice except to fall in love.