Eunice Lai was not looking to adopt a new dog, but the heart wants what the heart wants. And truly, the heart plays a big part in the story of how she ended up with Tiana.
After all, it was in February last year when a friend told her there was a dog she would love at the PAWS animal shelter – the day after Valentine’s Day, to be precise.
“All white, blue eyes! You have to go and see her!” her friend exclaimed.
Eunice, however, was sceptical. The dog was a husky, which she knew to have a reputation of being stubborn and noisy, “not to mention the amount of fur shedding, especially with the Malaysian climate”.
Still, she went to PAWS on Feb 15. “Dogs were barking like crazy everywhere,” she recalls. “I couldn’t see her until she was pointed out to me.
“This dog, one of the world’s most vocal breeds, quietly got up, put her front paws on the elevated area of the pen, and looked me dead in the eye with these piercing blue eyes before cocking her head.
“My heart did a flip, and I was sold.”
And so they left the shelter together, Tiana kissing her as often as she could all the way home. “Happy belated Valentine’s Day to me,” Eunice says fondly.
She tells FMT that the husky was named after one of her favourite Disney princesses from “The Princess and the Frog”.
“And oh, what a princess she is. If Madam doesn’t like the offered treat, she will refuse said treat until the end of time. I suppose she has a refined palate, kind of like Princess Tiana herself.”
Tiana – or Tia, as everybody calls her – deserves every morsel of food, especially since she was really skinny in the early days.
“We were told that she came into the shelter sick, which is why she lost all that weight. She was only 14kg,” Eunice shares.
“The vet was surprised she didn’t have any health problems; all she needed was to get her weight up to 20kg.
“I should pat myself on the back already as she’s now on a diet. I guess I did too well,” Eunice laughs, adding that Princess Tia’s favourite food is anything with meat.
One of Tiana’s most interesting qualities is how she handles her emotions. “We suspect she was abused because she used to shy away from human hands,” Eunice says sadly.
“But she’s totally rehabilitated now and she’s a lot more confident.
“She seeks affection and attention from me, entirely of her own volition. People can pat her and hug her, but she won’t ask for it much. And when she does, it’s usually for a minute before she’s decided she’s had enough.
“Building her trust in people took time and effort, but to see who she is now, it’s all worth it.”
Tiana, who turns three in November, loves nothing more than a good run with her three furry sisters, all of whom she adores.
“Surprisingly, she also loves swimming and water. A husky that swims is rare, but I suppose this is what happens when you raise one with a golden retriever,” Eunice muses.
“She enjoys bathtime and endures the blow dryer with a begrudging acceptance.”
Among her dislikes are umbrellas, thunder, “bugs that go zzzzt”, and Eunice’s guitar. As for her greatest fear?
“Being left behind,” Eunice says soberly. “Who could blame her? It’s why she loves her sisters so much, and it’s probably the reason I can never shower or use the bathroom in peace.
“I never wanted a husky,” she adds in reflection. “I’ve seen too many people cry and break down over theirs because they’re so stubborn and headstrong.
“Tia was no exception, but she has something that even I struggle with: forgiveness. And I’ll never, ever take for granted that she chose to trust again, and her trust is now in me.”
TELL US ABOUT YOUR PET: FMT Lifestyle readers are invited to send in pictures (landscape format) and a short video (if any) of their furry, scaly or feathery friends to lifestyle@freemalaysiatoday.com. Don’t forget to include details like your pet’s name, age, breed and a short story about them.
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