Nelson Washington, the February $25 prize winner
We were able to catch up with Gwen, Nelson Washington’s owner. In just a few paragraphs she demonstrates how much Nelson is a part of her family.
“Our story with Nelson Washington began about 1 year and a half ago. My husband and I didn’t even know we wanted a dog, until we spotted this little guy. We randomly walked past a pet store and saw this cute puppy who was sleeping upside down with his wet nose pressed against the window. We went in to hold him and he looked up at us with those brown eyes and round, little face, with that cute nose now pressed against my shoulder. But we knew it was a huge responsibility to take care of this precious life, so we went home empty-handed. Neither one of us slept that night, thinking about this tiny being that we held in our arms and how much of an impact he already had on our lives. Our hearts were telling us that he was already part of our family, and the next morning, we took the hour and a half drive back to the store to pick him up,” Gwen wrote.
Nelson eats his first birthday treat. He will be two years old on May 7th.
“Some of Nelson’s favorite activities include: sleeping on the couch, playing in the snow, barking at other dogs, going to doggie day camp, visiting his grandparents, playing fetch, being a trouble-maker, meeting new people (especially children), going for walks, vacationing with his family, car rides, earning treats, helping out in the kitchen, and being a snuggle-puppy for anyone who wants a warm puppy on their lap.”
“Nelson has surprised us in SO many ways. He truly is a part of our family. Although he can’t speak, he communicates with us in so many different ways. Before Nelson came into our lives, we had a bunny named Little Foot as our pet and I loved him more than anything. Little Foot was a very docile animal and didn’t seem to mind when Nelson barked at him or ran toward him to play. A little while back, our bunny got really sick and suddenly needed much more of our attention. At first, Nelson got jealous and would try anything to gain back our un-divided attention, but when it was nearing the end of Little Foot’s life, Nelson changed. He would actually help me clean the bunny (which was something Little Foot could no longer do himself) by licking his ears and his feet. And when I was upset about everything going on, Nelson would just come over quietly, place his head on my lap and let out a big sigh, which told me that he understood what was going on.”
“After Little Foot passed away, we buried him in our backyard, and for a few days, every time we took Nelson out, he would go over toward Little Foot’s grave and just sit there, as if he knew Little Foot was there. It was in those moments that I realized what an important role Nelson would play in all of our lives and how much I absolutely adored him.”
Nelson looks out for trick-or-treaters
“We look forward to spending the $25 gift card on rope toys (which are his FAVORITE) as well as lots of treats, which he loves to work for!”
Entering the contest is easy! If you have a pet picture that you would like to submit, go to the contest submission page>>!
