It was just before Christmas and I decided that I wanted to get a gift for myself. I wanted a dog. And after much deliberation I decided on a Basset Hound. The Basset Hound seemed to fulfill all of the qualities I was looking for in a dog. I didn’t want a dog that would happily greet me when I got home, because I wanted a dog that could come to work with me. I wanted a dog that would be gentle, calm, laid-back and most of all loving. I own a shoe store and Ellie Mae was my glass slipper, a perfect fit.

The moment she came to the store for a visit I just knew. She and I were meant to be together.   

She spent her days laying in the plentiful sunshine at the store, often getting up to get pets from customers.  Almost everyone who came in commented on her sweet demeanor or how pretty she was.  She loved children and would light up when one would come in. They loved her too. Sometimes, little ones would accidentally get too rough, but Ellie Mae never batted an eyelash.

The occasional customer would come in and ask if she was mean or if she would bite. My reply was always the same, “The worst thing she would do to you is flop down on top of your feet because she thinks you will give her a tummy rub,” and more times than I can count she obliged. Many times I saw her saunter up to people who were trying on shoes or squatting down to look for something. That was her signal to go right up to them and get some loving. And if they started loving on her, she would follow them around, just in case they were going to dole out some more. Many customers came to the store not for shoes, but to visit with her.

Ellie Mae was a wonderful dog, and an addition to my family that will never be forgotten. We may not have been able to share as much time together as I would have liked, but I take heart knowing that while with me she had a safe, loving home. She will be greatly missed by many. And I know that one-day, when the time is right I will open my heart to another, but there will never be one like her. She was a very special girl.

by Elizabeth O'Neal
Ellie Mae's Mom