Addison was a very loving, sweet Pomeranian. She was my first dog whom I loved and cared for 12 1/2 years of her life.

Many of you in the Salesforce ecosystem know Addison as Addison Dogster, the awesome admin who shares her configuration solutions. But, I’d like for you to get to know Addison, my lil’ lion.

I have always loved pomeranians. I just love their little fox-like face.

It was Mother’s Day in 2007. I was in a mall and happened to walk into the pet store, as I’ve done many times before. What I didn’t know at the time was that this visit will be life changing. I saw a very cute sable pomeranian puppy in the window. She had this really cute fox-like face. The employee came over and asked if I would like to play with it. I’ve never done that before but for some reason this time, I said “yes.” She took her over to the little play area and I interacted with her. After a few minutes of interaction, I gave her back to be put back into her window cage.

My sister told me that I should think about it and possibly look around for other pomeranians. But I could not leave the store without her. She already had me. She had me at hello.

So, that day I became a first time dog owner of a 4 month old puppy. Yes, Addison was an impulse buy and I purchased her from a pet store. (Please don’t judge!) This was purchase that I would never regret making.

I knew what I wanted to name her right away. Private Practice, a spin-off of Grey’s Anatomy was one of my favorite shows and I liked the character Addison Montgomery.

On the ride home, she rode on my lap (I was in the passenger seat). She didn’t make a sound. I recall saying, “I hope she’s not mute.” No, she wasn’t…We got home and had to get ready to meet my family for Mother’s Day dinner in Chinatown. We had issues putting together the metal crate so we put Addison in the bathtub for 5 mins. Once we got the crate assembled and went in to get her, that little dog had crapped all over the tub.

I told my siblings that I bought a dog but didn’t tell my parents. My parents thought animals were dirty, so I thought getting a dog would be frowned upon. After a couple of weeks, I told my parents the news. Once they saw her for the first time, I think her cuteness warmed their hearts and I could tell they fell in love with her too.

We live on the 5th floor condominium. For fear her little bladder could not hold it from the 5th floor, down the elevator and out to the park to relieve herself, I held her until we got outside. One night about a month of having her, on the way out, she wiggled out of my arms and fell on the concrete floor. I have never forget that high pitched bark I heard right after. I brought her back upstairs and said I think she’s injured. My husband, at the time, said “It’s nothing, she’ll walk it off.” She hobbled over to her pet bed and laid down. I persuaded him that I think there was something wrong. We took her to Angell Memorial Hospital and found out, she had a clean break in her right leg. After that incident, I got pet insurance.

A few months in, her hair was getting long so I need to get her a haircut. Dogfather, where she went for playgroup, also did grooming. When they asked what kind of cut did I want to give her, “Cut?” I had no idea. My mistake for not researching this beforehand and going with whatever they recommended. This is what she came back looking like.  THAT WAS A MISTAKE. It took several months for her to grow out of the “boy cut.” I researched pomeranian haircuts right away as I wasn’t making that mistake ever again. Her next cut: lion cut.

I have so many stories/memories of Addison that I can share. Here are just a few.

That little dog had so much personality. She was fearless. She would go up to the biggest of dogs and bark at them. Not even sure she was aware of her size. She assumed the role of “hall monitor” to the dogs running around. She LOVED being petted and once to my surprise, jumped up on the bench into a person’s lap to get pets. She loved humans more than dogs because she knew humans gave pets and sometimes had treats. She thought there were treats behind all counters. She had the cutest walk, one of circular motion. Addison would give you her piece of mind when you leave and don’t take her with you. She LOVED the snow, jumping around in it.

 

She LOVED, LOVED riding in the car with the window down, her head feeling the wind and her nose taking in all the smells. Even when we are driving on the highway, her head is still out the window, her eyes barely open.

 

I would take her everywhere that I could. When she was younger, we would take long walk from Back Bay in Boston all the way home to Charlestown in the summer. As she got older and could not walk as far, I would carry her around in my dog bag. We would take her places in the car. Did I mention she likes riding with the window down?

She didn’t behave like a lap dog. She was excited to walk a trail with us, jumping over branches. We once took her into a water hole to see if she would swim naturally. I gently pulled the leash to move her into the water and her butt started to float. She started to paddle and was swimming. I think that really freaked her out. Even after I picked her up, she was still paddling in the air.

She was a popular dog. I joke that we should charge a dollar for every person who asked to take her picture. People in the building whom I’ve never met before say “Hi Addison” in the elevator. She was a hit at the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

Addison is a pretty smart cookie. Once, she rode the elevator by herself (well, with a neighbor) and found her way back to our condo door where she was waiting to get in.

Not really sure whether she liked Halloween or not but we would dress her up in different outfits every year and go to the Monument on Halloween. Here are just a few of her costumes. She was a sport.

 

 

Her favorite toy, by far, is her froggie. We had several on hand in the event that one bit the dust. She would play with one until it was literally chewed up. She played toss with a frog foot! She loved it when we played toss with it. But, it wasn’t just toss. It was a game within a game. She would leave it for you, make eye contact with you to take the frog. But when you reached for it, she would try and grab it before you. It was her game-within-a-game. And it was particular fun when she decides in the middle of the night that it was froggie toss time. Sometimes I would find her froggie in my bag, probably where she placed it in the night with the intention of us playing toss in the dark.

In the summer, we would take walks over to the Thomas Menino Park near Spaulding Hospital and sit outside enjoying the weather. She’d love rolling on the grass. She would look over to me as we are walking and then drop down on the grass and just start rolling. She’d do that several times a walk.

And yes, every February, we celebrated her birthday with a birthday party and presents. We, humans, of course, had our own cake.

She attended family events, where she could – birthdays, Thanksgiving dinners, Chinese new year dinners and other various family gatherings. Addison particularly loved Thanksgiving where she got to eat lots of turkey. And Christmas where she got tons of treats. She was family.

I’m glad my nephews got to know Addison too…She was very gentle and patient with children.

She was a good watch dog. One night, I was awoken by her barking. I thought she was just being paranoid. I picked her up and opened the bedroom door into the hallway to show her nothing was there. To my surprise, there was a fireman standing in our kitchen. She was trying to wake us up. There was a reported incident of smoke on our floor, we were in deep sleep and didn’t heard the fireman knocking on our door.  Good girl.

I enjoyed my little dog. Without fail when I came home, she would come to greet me with her tail wagging and she would follow me closely as I walked around the condo. She would walk towards the bedroom at night and wait for me at the door to see if I was coming in too. Loved having her lay on the bed as I worked on my laptop doing Salesforcey things. She even attended a couple of Salesforce Saturdays. We would enjoy spending time outside in the summer, sitting on Adirondack chairs people/dog watching.

Addison had this thing that she did, as you were giving her pets, rubbing her belly as her way of saying, don’t go/don’t stop. She would lock in your hand with her little paws. Really cute.

She had such an infectious smile, that made you smile back in return, as shown in the slide show.

 

About a couple of months ago, she started having issues and went to the vet a few times. Her vet called with concerns about her bloodwork and asked that we bring her to MSPCA Angell Animal Hospital, which we did late August. We found out she had gallbladder mucocele and the only treatment was surgery. Given her age and heart condition, the success rate was only 50%. I had the means so I wanted to give her a shot at life. I told family, coworkers and the Salesforce Ohana, who kept Addison in their prayers, sent love and positive vibes. The lil’ lion is a fighter and she made it through the surgery! She was released from the hospital and sent home to recover.

She was slow to recover. I saw some tail wagging, and she was eating food. I took walks with her and we enjoyed the outdoors. I thought all was good until she slowly stopped eating. Back into the hospital she went. She got pancreatitis from the surgery and had a series of other issues in the next few weeks. We made sure we had the whole hour during visiting hours every day so we can spend as much time with her.

The plan was to release her home to recover Wednesday, October 2. All status reports were good on Tuesday, October 1 until I got the call around 2pm. It was her doctor. Addison went out for a walk and had collapsed. My heart sank. She asked what I wanted to do. I instructed them to do CPR. They were able to resuscitate her. I rushed to the hospital to see her. I told her how I loved her so much, that everything was ok and that she was a good girl and was able to spend some time holding her while they tried to get her back to breathing on her own. Her condition worsened over the course of the next couple of hours. The doctor believed she would have another cardiac arrest that night. I didn’t want to put her through another CPR. It was too much. I didn’t want her to die alone. She passed that night before we could euthanize her. She looked at my ex and took her last breath. Addison was surrounded by so much love. All 13 of us came to visit her that day, to say our goodbyes.

Shortly after her passing, I took a trip to Colorado to attend a wedding. Addison was with me in spirit.

Addison stole my heart the first time I saw her in that window in the pet store and her passing has left a hole in my heart.

I come home expecting for her to be there with her tail wagging. But she’s not there. I no longer hear the pitter patter of her little paws around the condo. She’s no longer sleeping at the end of the bed at night or laying on the bed, keeping me company. I see the sun outside and think, “Let’s go outside for a walk.” But she’s not there for me to take out and enjoy the nice weather.

It’s been a week since her passing now and there is not a day that’s gone by where I don’t think of her, miss her or cry. I’m also remembering our moments together and they make me smile. I am also comforted by the fact that she is in a better place, no more pain, no more meds, her right leg is no longer broken, she has an endless supply of her favorite treats, all the pets and belly rubs to her heart’s content and all the car rides with the window down.

We made a good trio and now, there’s just the two of us…

You were such a great dog. You loved so many and so many, in turn, loved you back. Thank you for a great 12 1/2 years together. I ❤ you 🦁🐕 very, very much and miss you so. Thank you for choosing me to be your person.

Sleep well, Pimmy, my lil’ lion…Until I see you again.