Hello!

My name is Hailey Chae and the fur-ball next to me is Toffee!

Growing up, I was never, ever, able to have more than a fish as a pet. And I will say that I had my fair share of pet fish (whoops), but my heart yearned for a dog. Even though my Mom, Brother, and I all wanted a dog, my Dad had some vendetta against dogs and wouldn't let us get one. That was until a quick trip to the grocery store turned into a surprise Valentine's gift.

It was the day before Valentine's Day, and I was running a quick errand with my Mom. She got a Facebook Marketplace listing of dogs for sale nearby, and just for the fun of it, we decided to check it out. There was one puppy left. No one wanted her because she was the biggest puppy out of her siblings. When we pet her, she was so excited she made a little accident on the seller's couch! We knew then and there she was coming home with us.

Because this was such a spontaneous adventure, we had nothing prepared… so we had to make a quick trip to Walmart. I think we bought a dog bed, a collar and leash set, and dog food. We knew nothing about how to raise a puppy, so we did tons of research when we went back home. I would say my Dad was less than excited to see us walk in with our new guest, but he grew to become her #1 fan.

I find it interesting that even from animals, you can see their intelligence and emotions. One way I can see her intelligence is through her tricks. She has a roster full of her best party tricks: “Rollover”, “Pretty-girl”, and “Bang!”. These are just a few of the crowd favorites. She does not like wet grass or wearing booties; basically, she doesn't like anything touching her paws. Her little quirks and habits make her special, even though she can have the sassiest attitude.

After almost six years of having her, I cannot imagine life without her. She was the missing puzzle piece to our family. She has grown to become my best friend. She got me through my treacherous teenage years, watched me struggle all through high school, and now, sent me off to UGA. She was the best Valentine's Day gift ever, and most definitely will never be topped.

Fun Fact about Toffee:

She has a ton of outfits! She has an outfit for every holiday, and here she is sporting her Santa sweater.