My new friend Emerson

February 18, 2008

I’d like to introduce you to our official Bella Lucce mascot, Mr. Emerson. He’s been with us for just over a month now and I don’t imagine that I could possibly be any more smitten with him. He’s a puggle (a hybrid beagle/pug mix) and currently weighs about 7 pounds, on his way to a hefty (estimated) 14 pounds. Emerson is just 4 months old and has boundless energy and some of the cutest kung-fu puppy moves ever laid down by a dog anywhere on the planet.

I’ve been pining for a dog for almost 4 years now- waiting patiently until my kids were old enough not to inadvertently torture a pup, waiting until I had a nice long stretch of non-travel in which to acclimate and train him, waiting for my patient husband to finally give me the thumbs-up. During the first week of January, I was sitting at my conference table- clacking away on my laptop- and I suddenly felt something rummaging around my legs. I looked beneath the table to discover two dirty little puppies, recent escapees from their owner, who had nudged so hard on my not-fully-latched office door that they actually made their way in. Their daddy was all the way downtown and so I played dog-sitter for the next hour. I enjoyed having the pups here so much that I decided to buy myself a puppy mascot.

The next day was the eve of my birthday and I dragged Abby to various pet shelters around Columbia, in search of a birthday present from me to me (I am a bit notorious for giving myself the most amazing gifts!). After a few hours of searching for just-the-right dog, I was about to surrender and head home empty-handed. Then Pets Inc. showed us my lil’ Emerson, who had just been dropped off at the shelter, having spent the better part of the day roaming the busiest interstate in the city. I fell in love instantly- he was terrified to even be looked at, whining and averting your gaze. I cuddled him for a while and then gently plopped him on the floor…a gentleman walked by him (paying absolutely no mind), but Emerson wet himself right there, too afraid to even move away. I don’t know exactly what happened to my pup in the first 11 weeks of his life, but I can assure you that it wasn’t pretty.

He was so incredibly pitiful and I knew he wouldn’t fair well in the shelter, so they vaccinated and microchip’d him on the spot and we were on our way home in record time. At first, he had to be held, and he would shake like a leaf if you looked him directly in the eye. In the span of a few short weeks, Emerson (named after one of my favorite thinkers: Ralph Waldo Emerson) has gained a few pounds, in addition to an immeasurable amount of confidence. He spends the days sleeping at my feet under the desk, snuggling in his bed in my office and talking long walks to the mailbox. In the evenings and on weekends, he enjoys tormenting my two cats, growling at dogs ten times his size and running wild in my backyard. It’s a very, very good life…

Having him is such a blessing in so many ways. I frequently bring him onto my lap and rub his velvety little ears during stressful moments throughout my day. A constant stream of Bella Lucce staff comes to visit and take him on little jaunts around the business complex that contains our offices. And my kids spend all evening giggling at his antics. We drag him damn near everywhere on weekends and have discovered a host of pet-friendly patio restaurants, so he can frequently be found lounging at Za’s Pizza on Devine, Atlanta Bread on Lake Murray or the Starbucks on Gervais St. He’s a well-traveled little pup, indeed. As my personal office now contains 3 rooms (the main office/reception area, a conference room and a records room), he has plenty of room to stretch and roam without ever coming near product (either the raw materials, the batches during production or the finished products in our stock rooms- all of which are located in a separate part of the building), so it’s a beautiful arrangement that works well for all of us. And- though my husband never gave his actual approval on the dog acquisition- Emerson sleeps nestled next to him each night, so I do believe they’ve made peace…welcome Emerson.