Lola ‘The Showgirl’ was born in May 2008 near Macon, Georgia. We brought her home to Fort Walton Beach, Florida to join our family four days before Patrick deployed for nine months. During that time, Cassie and Lola found creative ways to help cope with Patrick’s absence: they walked together every day, they enrolled in obedience training, they traveled to visit family (Lola fit perfectly under a plane seat), they watched reality TV (she even earned her own spot on the couch), they hung out at the beach, and they spent countless hours socializing with friends and their dogs. When Patrick returned, he quickly fit back into the family dynamic, and life resumed seamlessly as a family of three.
A few years later, they were living in Arizona, and Lola helped the family welcome Mia Tortilla (our sweet terrier-mix doggo). The two had already spent some time together, as Mia was also an Air Force family’s pet, and she came to stay when they’d received (sans-pet) orders. They’ve been (mostly) BFFs ever since! In 2013, Patrick & Cassie found out they’d miscarried, and will never forget the way Lola stayed by Cassie’s side through some exceptionally dark days. It was as though she knew… Then, in 2016, the dogs were two of the first to welcome our baby boy to the family.
Lola immediately took to a baby in the house, and she’d frequently climb into the stroller or swing to snuggle. She adored the Tucson sun and the toasty temperatures! It wasn’t long after that thought we noticed cataracts developing in her eyes.
The Air Force then moved us to North Dakota. Wow! Arriving in December was a shock to all of our (but especially her) systems! Because donning coats and shoes seemed like a lot of work for quick potty breaks, Patrick built the pups an “outhouse” so they could find shelter from the wind — complete with a brooder/warming light. They welcomed a daughter while there, too (Lola, next to her brother in the stroller, made it into the birth announcement photo), and again, Lola offered the new baby a very warm welcome. She’d try to get under the same blanket or curl up next to her on the play mat.
Her vision nowadays is almost gone. It’s possible that she can see shadows and some movement, but it might not even be that much. They’ve found that camping is one of Lola’s happy places, as she can still be near the family in familiar territory while in the camper or lounging in the hammock. Moving with an RV was a blessing, too, as she didn’t have to navigate hotel rooms or unknown areas.
In 2022, a story that Patrick and Cassie had been writing in their hearts for years finally came to fruition — The Littlest Hound: A Lovable Italian Greyhound’s Tale. They feel blessed to have received overwhelming support from family and friends and will never forget the help they received to launch the book. There is nothing quite like the love of a dog. And Lola, there will NEVER be another you.