So here’s a question: do parents of ugly babies know that their baby is ugly? Like seriously. I’ve tried asking many parents and have never been able to get a proper answer. Sure, beauty is subjective and every baby is beautiful and all of that, I get it. But, deep down, parents must know if their kid ain’t all that cute, right? 

Well, I’ve recently discovered that the answer to that question is NO. Parents are unable to see their bundle of joy as anything but beautiful. This discovery is all thanks to Viva, the weirdest, most beautiful scrawny little rice eater doggo. A dog who, objectively, isn’t all that special. Here’s the tale of how a stray stole my heart!

To me, she’s honestly one of the most beautiful pups in the world. And her face. God, how I love her face.

Early Days

When Viva came into our lives in April 2020, she looked nothing like the beautiful doggo at the start of this post. She was found wandering along the road in a village on the East Coast along with her sister, Java. They were taken in by the good folks at Paws for a Cause and Lei (the face behind the computer)and I agreed to foster them.

They were both extremely malnourished and we weren’t sure that they would survive. Although they were three months old, they looked and operated like they were just a few weeks old. Java, who got her name because she was the more lively of the two, was able to eat and move about on her own.

Viva unfortunately had to be fed with a syringe. Her name was us willing her to survive, but honestly, we weren’t holding our breaths. (Viva = ‘Live’ in Spanish)

Recovery

As the days went by, they eventually started to eat on their own and built up their strength. I made no excuses for spoiling them: they could use all the love they could get as well as all the glamorous headshots.

Boy did they love sardines! I bought it by the cases for them. They were very food motivated and would eat until they couldn’t move some days. I quickly realized that I needed to limit their portions.

Before I realized it, they had stolen my heart and I was smitten.

Finding home #1

Eventually, almost a year, the dreaded time came when I needed to say goodbye. By this time, Viva had grown from a tiny dying pup into a very beautiful, extremely awkward little doggo.

I came to love her with all my heart and saying goodbye honestly brought me to tears. She was my baby and she was going away. But Paws For A Cause had found a home for both her and Java. I convinced myself that we were doing the right thing, even though it didn’t feel like it.

Reunited!

Viva and Java lived with their new family for a short time, but were eventually returned since they weren’t a great fit with the doggos that already lived there. They were also a bit mischievous in the garden of the new owner – pups will be pups after all!

We were overjoyed to have them back until their next adoptive family was found.

Transition to home #2

We were super happy when a family living only a few houses apart decided to adopt them along with two other Paws for A Cause fosters. We paid them a visit once and as you can see in the snaps below, the girls blossomed into beauties.

However, recently we got a call asking if we would be able to foster Viva again for a little while. See, she had run away from home and had been living on the streets for a few weeks.

By the time she returned, she had lost a lot of weight, was clearly traumatized and struggled to fit in. The other dog in the yard had also grown rapidly and become aggressive towards her. Her adopted family had to give her up and we were only too happy to foster her again. 

Honestly, when Paws reached out to ask if we might be able to foster for a while, I didn’t even have to think about it.

We picked her up as soon as we could. She was very rough around the edges and our home had changed considerably since she’s been with us.

We had 5 additional dogs in our yard (a few of ours and a few fosters/rescues) so we were worried about how she would fit. But eventually, she did. 

I got my chance to love (and fatten) her up all over again. And the tale of how a stray stole my heart continues.

In search of furever home #3

Viva is such a beautiful dog. She’s very loving and emotional and oh so awkward. She loves kisses and belly rubs. Her newfound neck rolls are beyond soft and squishy. But she’s recently started to struggle with us.

One of our bigger dogs is a little too rough with her and, though she doesn’t mean to, ends up hurting her quite often. We’ve been trying to keep her separate as much as possible, but there’s only so much we can do on that front. She really is a sweetheart, but would probably do best in a home where she’s the only dog.

So once again, I find myself having to give my girl away. I know it’s for the best but it still breaks my heart. 

If you would like to adopt this little bundle of joy, please reach out to me. You can drop a comment at the bottom or use the little chat icon to your right and connect directly. 

It would mean the world to me to know she’s in a home that will love her as much as I do.