Patricio

Many know him as ‘Patricio’ but we call him ‘Ivan’. It all began with a determination to learn how to pronounce the word ‘Xoloitzcuintli.’ After many internet searches I fell in love with the idea of owning a hairless dog but couldn’t find one while my husband and I lived in Arizona. In 2015 we moved back to our hometown in Michigan. I hadn’t given up on the idea of finding a hairless dog when I came across Patricio on the Naked K-9 website. His caretaker, Suzanne, informed me that he is not a Xolo but a Peruvian Inca Orchid (less fun to say but STILL very cool). I went to meet him in Lansing and while I don’t know how much he cared for me—I liked him a lot. Over the next couple of months, my husband and I bought a house with a lovely backyard and when things got settled he came to live with me, my husband and our three other rescued ‘children’. I’ve met many dogs but never one with as many quirks as Ivan. He is such a character and keeps us laughing. His intelligence is astounding and he frequently uses it against us. We grow closer to Ivan every day as he learns to trust us. I’m not sure what his life was like in Peru but we do all we can to give him a beautiful life now. My husband and I have forgotten what life was like before a 50 lb naked dog slept between us every night and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Tre'

Tre' was my foster dog when one of my other dogs passed away unexpectedly. There wasn't a lot of interest in a senior dog who had to be on grain free food and had to kept on allergy medication at a cost of $40 a month for the rest of his life. Even though I could never replace my dog King, I figured giving Tre' a forever home would be a good way to honor his memory. Tre' has been with me about 1.5 years now and is doing great. He still has to be on his allergy medication and makes frequent trips to the vet for his ears but he is a happy and loving boy. I hope to be able to spend many more years with my sweet boy.

Daisy

I have adopted many rescued greyhounds over the years. I wanted to "downsize" as I was getting older and found a rescue with a Chinese Crested powder puff, Rio. He turned out to be a mix but I fell in love with many of the breed characteristics that he had. I found Naked K9 on the web and began to watch for a female Chinese Crested powder puff as a companion for Rio. Daisy was listed and I thought she looked adorable. I filled out an application and when I was approved she became a member of our pack. I renamed her Maddison but she goes by Maddie Moo. She was a timid little thing but after getting over her initial shyness has become a full fledged member - going on our daily walks, chasing birds in the backyard and playing tug of war with her brother Rio. She's got some idiosyncrasies that I love. She spins 360 degrees backwards as I am getting her food ready. She lifts her lips and "smiles" when she is sitting in my lap which makes me laugh. I cannot imagine our life without her now that she is part of it. It was one of my better decisions to look at the website and find her there. I highly recommend anyone looking for a smaller breed to look at this group.

Little Bear

In early 2015, I unexpectedly lost my 8-year-old Yorkie, Bella. Not only was I heartbroken, but Lucy Lu, my 2-year-old Yorkie was just as sad. This started the search for a companion for Lucy Lu. I decided to look at rescue dogs and began searching local organizations on the internet. This is how I met Little Bear. He was all black, with a smooshed face and overbite, the kind of face that only a mother could love – and I did, immediately! I knew this was the dog I’d been searching for. As fate had it, the rescue mom turned out to be a friend of mine so I contacted her and Little Bear came to live with us shortly after. It has been a year that Little Bear became part of our family, and I can’t imagine life without him! He has bonded well with Lucy Lu and he thinks his job is to protect our family. His love and affection are endless and he loves to show this with his kisses! He’s never far from my side and has a keen sense of things going on outside. I must admit, sometimes he gets carried away with his barking – which has led to his nick name of “Bob Barker”. I am beyond thankful Cecilia Tucker, and Naked K9 Rescue, for the selfless work they do and how they go above and beyond to bring together dogs and people!

Pinky

(Now called Luna)"Things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end, if not always in the way we expect." I always loved this line, ever since the first time I heard Luna Lovegood say it in Harry Potter "Order of the Phoenix" (*movie, not book...HP nerd trivia, she never said it in the book!) I understood it on a new level and different way after I met this little dog... That's why I had to name her Luna Lovegood If she could talk, I think this quote is the first thing she would've said to me. The unexpected quality of it all is what really got me. I wasn't looking for anyone or anything. I had recently arrived at a place of (kinda sorta) peace with all the losses we endured last year. I can honestly say, I didn't find her at all, she found me (with a little help from Naked K9 rescue!) This is also a reminder of how quickly things can change... We always focus on the shocking or upsetting changes and losses and tend to forget that rarely, if we stay open to it and have hope, life can send some incredible gifts our way. My heart was very closed off just until this past January...but I let it open just a sliver, and this one found it. For the past 14 months I've had a tough time believing that anything "magical" would ever happen in my life again, but I just had a fuzzy few pounds of magic find me... So I guess another quote fits my past week well (also HP) “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, when one only remembers to turn on the light.”