12 Days of Happy Tails: Meet Millie!
As the year winds down, we're taking a look back at all of the lives that we’ve saved thanks to your support. It’s another year of 12 Days of Happy Tails — stories that touched the hearts of our staff and volunteers. We hope you enjoy reading them as much as we’ve loved all of these special pups.
Today’s Happy Tail is the story of little Millie ‘Fusilli’, a sweet southern girl who came to us from South Carolina.
This past August, Robin and Sam lost their perfect little potato pitbull mix, MPR alum Sasha, to cancer. Sasha was the epitome of a chill dog - she loved to cuddle and just relax on the sofa without a care in the world. As they grieved for her, getting another dog didn’t seem like it would happen any time soon. But then they spotted Millie on Instagram. There was something about this little white pup that just drew them in - and a week later, Millie was theirs.
At a year and a half old, Millie was full of energy and having somewhat of a difficult time adjusting to the hustle and bustle of NY when she arrived in Muddy Paws’ care that summer. She didn’t like being on her leash and her foster was having some challenges getting her used to it. Knowing that Millie might just need a bit of extra help being her best self, she went to stay with our Founding Executive Director Rachael for an assessment. We happily determined that Millie's challenges could be solved using a different type of walking device paired with structure and clear expectations. She was also living with two other dogs while with Rachael, and while at first she wasn’t sure about them, she quickly came around and spent days running around and chasing them (helpful for getting that young pup energy out!). We knew Millie’s perfect family was out there - and we were right!
Because Robin and Sam adopted Millie so soon after losing Sasha, they found themselves comparing them to each other — an exercise that while only natural, was not productive in helping Millie settle into her new home. They learned pretty quickly that Millie is not the chill couch potato dog that Sasha was. Millie loves (and needs) to play, and requires tons of attention, mental stimulation, and structure. Because of this huge difference in personalities, Robin says they felt a little overwhelmed at first. After training and conversations with experts, they now understand that every dog is an individual who experiences the world differently. Millie works with a trainer to help with her dog reactivity and behavior when strangers come to visit. “Helping Millie adjust to her new surroundings has sometimes been tough and humbling, but it has also been incredibly rewarding.”
“Having Millie in our lives has been an absolute joy. Her nickname is Millie Fusilli, because she loves flopping on her back to get tummy rubs like a wet noodle. During the day she hangs out patiently as we work from home, but is sure to remind us when it’s time to take a break to play fetch or cuddle. When we go for walks, Millie does an excellent job letting the local pigeons know who’s boss, and completes a very important daily street trash inventory. One of her favorite activities is to ascend the highest pile of pillows on the couch and then snuggle in for a cozy nap. Whenever we return from leaving our apartment, Millie bounds into our arms and showers us with kisses. We get lost staring into her beautiful chocolate eyes as she bats her soft white eyelashes. We love Millie heart and soul, and like to think our Sasha girl is smiling across the rainbow bridge.”
