Catherynne M. Valente
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The Glorious Conclusion of the Wild Ride of the Puppy Express
🕑 Added 2025-11-03 18:15:26 +0000 UTCAfter the straight-up saga of Velveteen's incredible journey east, I thought you might like the happy ending. In case you don't follow me on BlueSky where I've been uncontrollably...oh god, am I about to use the word "squeeing" for the first time in years? I suppose I am. Uncontrollably squeeing about this magical creature. Wow. I hadn't really though about how rarely I see the word squee these days compared to ten years ago, let alone fifteen years back. That feeling sort of...retired as things got to be the way things do currently be and look like they'll continue to be.
But what else can you do when a gorgeous absolutely stained-glass hearted anime wolf-fox is suddenly just hanging out at your feet all the time?
So yeah, it's been a "wait, what" of a week. Days just...went somewhere. We've been so busy making our costumes and other Halloween House Business--AND SETTLING OUR NEW DOG INTO HER NEW HOME.
Not that she's needed much settling. I am not exaggerating when I say Vell is the most well-behaved, gentle, loving dog I've been lucky enough to be around--and the most well-behaved, calm, and quiet husky I've ever ever heard of. I'm so used to puppies, and years of work ahead with a new one, I hardly know what to do with myself but just start teaching her new things, because she's just no trouble whatsoever, only joy. I keep telling my sister-in-law that her dad must have been so good at training dogs because she is basically a human in a fur coat. Last night I even took her to the island bar (American Legion Post 142!) and she was sweet and peaceable and chill until the Chiefs lost, then she had an inexplicably strong number of opinions to share. In a conversational tone and volume that could never bother anyone.
I've never met a two year old husky I felt like I could take to a bar and actually relax myself. She can even be off leash (with some guidance, she's still a sled dog and she always feels like runnin') in the woods with me. THIS MAGIC DOG.
From the minute our fifth and final leg (Independent Teapot, first names redacted for privacy) brought her home and she laid down on my feet, Vell has just seamlessly made herself a part of our household. By day 3 she knew what time we leave for school in the morning. She's chosen a spot in the house. Last night my 7 year old hugged me and she gently pawed us to let her in for a group hug--then jumped onto the pile and licked our faces silly. She's even super respectful to the cats! Who are not respectful to her in any way, shape or form! And are LIVID with me for what I've done to the universe itself by allowing a dog in it!
On Friday, one of the kindergartners saw us and SCREAMED to the entire student body: ATTENTION EVERYONE! BASTIAN AND THEIR DOG ARE HERE!
And in about half a second, these kids lined up along the fence, without anyone telling them to, to have a turn petting her. As of today, Vell has started howling greetings to all "her" kids on the playground as soon as we crest the hill between our house and the school.
I mean, I'm sure she'll misbehave at some point...oh! She did swipe a slice of cheese (aged habanero cheddar thank you very much) off my cracker when I went to get a glass of water. Not the whole thing, she just delicately de-cheesed the cracker and looked around like it was a deep and unanswerable mystery no one could ever explain. That's the worst thing she's done. I took her to a neighbors house where they get the neighborhood dogs together to play before work in the mornings and even though the other pups were all young, thus pretty rough, and one puppy continually grabbed her face with her paws, she never so much as growled.
Also, she sings. Well, she's a husky, obviously she sings. But she only sings to songs she likes, and so far...how do I make anyone on the internet believe that the dog that came to me by chance, tragedy, and magic, who I did not raise or influence at all, loves Rocky Horror and sings along to every. single. song.
The Childe is over the moon in love. I came downstairs a few mornings ago to them petting her gently and whispering: "You are precious as a diamond, more good than good. The most appreciated dog in the whole world." They've been singing a lot of This Is Velveteen to the tune of This Is Halloween as well.
Obviously, we are just beside ourselves with love for this gorgeous mythical beast who lives with us now. There's times when you just feel so lucky--and I thought I felt lucky that five wonderful people were willing to drop everything and help this dog. I had no idea what a special girl she really was. Every driver said they wished they could keep her--I almost can't believe we get to.
We are so lucky.
And we're helping her get over all she's been through. She's still grieving. The very first day I walked her to school, she saw one of the dads with a thick plaid overcoat on. Vell howled and bowed and whined to him. I texted my sister-in-law and asked if her dad wore a lot of plaid. She called me at once and asked why I said that. I explained, and she said that her dad always wore this particular plaid overcoat because the cancer treatments left him cold all the time. Little things like that come up and it breaks my heart. She hates going upstairs and avoids it if she can...because her dad had a one-story, no stairs. We're trying to soothe her as much as she soothes us and convince her that she gets to stay with us forever.
I told my kid that if we're lucky and take good care of her, she could easily still be around when they graduate high school. This will be who Bastian always remembers as the dog they had growing up. Dogs are funny like that. If you're a dog person, and I am, they curl up around eras in your life. 10-15 years. Maybe a little more, maybe a little less. And there's no remembering those years without the shaggy friends who were your constant shadows. I moved to the island where I live 17 years ago Saturday. I moved here with two dogs, both of which are buried on the island. They were my heart in furry form, and Vell isn't going to be any different, I can tell. She's our girl. For always.
There is still some magic in this world. We make it, together, when we care about things outside ourselves just a little more than necessary. When we see how big small things can be. When we try more than we have to. Magic was always small, and quiet, and always hard to pull off, that's part of what makes it magic. And I refuse to stop believing in the good just because it's small and quiet and hard. Just because the bad is loud and big and easy to find anywhere you look.
Some of the best things I know about are small and quiet and hard to pull off
She sat on my feet the whole time I was writing this.I'm gonna try so hard for this dog. For my life and my community and my child and my people, all the little worlds I'm part of. For my family, chosen and blood, for my sister, for the man in the plaid overcoat this dog will never forget. So many people tried so hard for us. Thank you so much to the saints who got in a car (I hope we all stay in touch on the group chat! We're family now), and thank you again so much to everyone who chipped in to cover expenses when I know all too well how tight all our belts are right now, and everyone who's followed this saga and taken something from it, because these days, rays of light, in whatever shape they occur, are more precious than a diamond, and more good than good.
Comments
Vicki Solomon
What an amazing dog! I'm so glad you are together.
Catherynne M. Valente
Oh my god thank you for this information! She literally won’t do it so that makes so much sense!
Cynthia Horen
Just a quick note re: stairs. Noticed in first photo of her that she had no whiskers (groomers, who should know better, often remove them). But the muzzle and eyebrow whiskers are vitally important because they provided key spatial information. Dogs missing their whiskers literally cannot do stairs. I see that there's an inch or so apparently growing in now. Let them grow long and lush!
Melissa
<3 <3 <3 <3 😭😭😭
Jeff Winter
This is the happiest news I've read in a long time!
