Processed. Print. Four.

Pentax K1000/ Kodak Portra 400

Pomona, December 2011

The biggest unexpected surprise of 2011 was raising a dog, and becoming a dog owner. One day in January my dad brought this little puppy home on his lunch break from work. He told my brother and I that some random stranger tried giving the puppy to his coworker but he didn't want it so he asked my dad and my dad took her home. I remember my niece and nephew being so excited, running around in the front lawn with her.

At first my brother agreed that he would keep the dog so I figured that was fine, I didn't think I had enough time anyway to take care of her. After a few days my brother decided that it was too much work to house train her/ train her/ take care of her so he asked me to find her a new home. My two youngest sisters were living in San Gabriel at the time and they thought they would try taking her in. After the first night they brought her back.

I felt really bad that this little puppy couldn't find a decent home and I really wanted to keep her but I thought I wasn't capable of taking care of her so I asked a bunch of people that I knew could give her a good home and eventually gave her to my friend Yesenia. Yesenia had her for a few days and really did want to keep her but her mother thought it was a bad idea because Yesenia's sisters were so in love with the puppy and her mom thought the puppy was too much of a distraction. So Yesenia called me and asked me if I could take her back.

I remember on the drive back home "Toph" came onto my lap and fell asleep. I think for me, that was the final straw, having her go to three new homes and no one being able to keep her. I felt bad, I didn't want to send her to another home only to be rejected again. On that car ride home I promised to her that I would take care of her the best I could.

It's funny because my niece and nephew named her Roxy and my sisters named her Moose "moo moo" and Yesenia named her Pretzel. I pretty much disliked all of those names and I ended up naming her Toph- pronounced- "toff"-"ta-off" not "toe-oph" "toof".

Toph is an awesome dog and I'm happy to have her in my life. Shes pretty smart, obeys me (sometimes), is affectionate, the best story-teller, hypoallergenic, doesn't shed her fur, friendly(to most people), housetrained like a wizard, and most of all my best friend. My sister Ly pointed out that it was nice to see a side of me that she never saw, my nurturing side. I'm the youngest of five children, all I ever had to take care of was myself and a few pet turtles. I didn't have a younger sibling to take care and when I got Toph this whole new side of me came out, I pretty much became a dad/ older brother.

So far the hardest part of being a pet owner was when I had to take Toph to get spayed, and the whole ordeal of having her down and out like that was the longest week of my life. But she got through it and I lived through it.

I really love this photo of her sleeping, I always wonder what she dreams about.