I hadn't intended to adopt her. I drove from Lincoln to Omaha one stormy night in November to meet her and her foster mom at a Petsmart. The lady put her in my arms and said, "here you go." And that was the end of it. I had been looking on the Petfinder website after losing Ginseng but wasn't sure I was ready. Or if I would ever be. But I kept going back to her photo and the cute story her foster mom had posted about her.

I had bought a house just weeks before I got her so she had a nice big fenced in backyard to run around in. She never learned to fetch but when I threw a tennis ball she'd chase it then play with it for a bit. The toys I bought her didn't last long because she would always tear them apart until she got the squeaker and stuffing out of it and that would be the last of that toy. She chewed on my cheap canvas shoes along with hard plastic toys for a few years. And even chewed on the edge of the wood windowsill of the back bedroom window. When I got to work from home we'd take walks around the neighborhood on my lunch breaks unless it was too cold for me, or too rainy for her. She didn't like the rain but didn't seem to mind the cold. She rode in the car with me as much as possible when I ran errands.

She always seemed to be smiling. She loved belly rubs, snuggling in bed (usually hogging it by being in the middle but I never minded) and special treats. She got either salmon or steak every year for her birthday and sometimes ice cream too. She had a special little cup that I gave her ice cream in during later years.

I was lucky enough to find a pet sitter that I could leave her with when I traveled because I didn't want to keep asking my friends. After a few visits there I started telling Baileys that was her Grandma Jean. When we got near Jean's house she recognized it and was always excited to stay there. And I knew she'd be well taken care of.

She had a funny way of always carrying her plastic food bowl from one spot to another before she finished eating. She would dig at blankets and rumpled them just so before lying down on the pile. She didn't chow her food down quickly like other dogs. She seemed to take one bite and chewed it a bit before having another. When she seemed really happy she'd lie on her side, smiling and panting and her tongue would fall out of her mouth. Then I'd rub her tummy to make her even happier.

In February 2023 she was diagnosed with some health issues. We had a handle on them for a bit then sought a 2nd opinion when meds weren't working. More health issues were found and more expensive meds were needed, which I gladly paid to keep her with me. In mid-August when she was having more trouble, an EKG revealed her heart was beating way too fast and working way too hard for her poor little body. I knew I had to let her go while I could say good-bye, even though I didn't want to.

Her Grandma Jean went with us and stayed the whole time while I said good-bye to my sweet Baileys. 12 yrs and 9 months was not enough time with her.

I know how lucky I was that I found her and how she mended my broken heart after Ginseng. Having raised her from a puppy till the end of her too-short life, gave me a purpose and a reason for being here. There will never be another like her, she gave me so much joy and words don't do it justice. I hope I took care of her better than I did Ginseng. But it feels like it still wasn't enough.

She loved chasing squirrels and rabbits. But she would duck for cover if a fly got in the house and she skirted around cats for the longest time when we had walkies. (Who can ever figure out what a cat is about?)

I have so many memories of her, so many good times. There were times when she was naughty when she was younger, but they faded and barely seem important now.

As her Grandma said, she was the perfect dog. She was certainly perfect to me.