I got my first yorkie when I was 9 years old . . .my sister was a breeder and her yorkie's first litter was a singleton. I named him Justin. He was the love of my life, but a huge responsibility for a 9 year old. My grandparents lived with us at the time so my grandmother claimed him as her own. Justin was crazy, seriously crazy . . I remember him being a nipper and everytime we went outside he would turn around and scratch and bite at the metal on the screen door. But, I still loved him and walked him daily around the block, trained him to walk with me on a leash, he knew his way around the block by the time he was 2.
When I was 13, Justin got out of the house when someone opened the door, I don't remember whom, it might of been me as I went outside to play with my friends. That is a day that I re-live a lot . . .a lot of what if's goes through my mind. Justin decided he would cross the street that day, something I never thought he would do. He was hit and killed by a car. The driver of the car, was good enough to stop and called animal control. My neighbor happened to hear what was going on and ran over to my house to tell my parents. My dad was extremely angry and blamed me basically . . .he handed me a cardboard box and told me to go get him. I remember walking down the street with the box hysterically crying ( I cry as I type this) . . my neighbor picked Justin up and placed him in the box for me and I walked up the street with my dead dog where my father was waiting with a hole already dug by the pine tree out back. I remember walking into the house and my grandmother was sitting there with tears down her face . . she loved him extremely and he kept her great company when I was at school. I walked in my room and shut the door and stayed there all night . . .I wish someone would of come in my room and ask me how I was, hugged me, something, but I guess they didn't know what to say. I don't think my dad knew how much this effected me . . .as it still does today.
It took me a long time to get another dog and I knew I wanted another yorkie, so I bought Brody in March 07 and I bought Rhianna in December 08. I look after them like they were my babies . . .I am pretty sure my husband and my kids think I'm crazy when I talk to them like I do and they probably feel I treat them better than them, but I feel I owe it to them for being such a bad mommy to Justin. They have filled my life with happiness and joy.
