Sassy Senior Pekingese Dog: Meet Siouxsie!

Siouxsie is my first fur baby. We named her after one of my favorite musicians, the goth/punk pioneer Siouxsie Sioux, of Siouxsie and the Banshees. My husband and I decided to get a puppy when we moved into an apartment that allowed pets. We weren't aware of puppy mills and backyard breeders at the time. We knew we wanted either a Shih Tzu or a Pekingese.

I started searching online and the first day of looking came across her picture. I was immediately drawn to her cute little face and unique fur markings. I didn't want to jump into making a decision so soon, so I continued looking for a couple more weeks, but kept coming back to her photo. She was in Missouri and we are in Ohio. I contacted the breeder and despite my intuition that things were not as they seemed on their website and their demeanor on the phone, I was already in love and had to have her.

Siouxsie as sent on a plane and my husband and I picked her up at the airport. She was stubborn and independent from the start. She was a terror to potty train and was steadfast in doing things her way, on her own time. Despite this, we adored her.

Several months after getting Siouxsie, I found many articles online about the breeder we got her from. Many people complained about their breeding practices and not much later they were deemed a mill and shut down. I was so upset that I helped support a puppy mill without knowing it.

Siouxsie is now 13 years old, she will be 14 in October. She has been with us most of my adult life now. She is in good health and still quite active. She has arthritis, it doesn't slow her down as much as it should. She loves laying in her yard and letting the breeze blow through her hair, guarding the neighborhood and sharing my dinner with me.