Ah, Valentine’s Day. You either love it, or you loathe it — am I right? I’ll be the first to admit I used loathe it (with a capital L!). But it turns out my true Valentine was named Suzanne.

I probably don’t need to, but allow me to introduce myself. I’m Vinny. That’s right, the infamous 6-years-young, devilishly handsome Cairn Terrier mix who thought he would never find a home. I’d bounced around from adopter, to foster, to adopter, back to foster… you know the drill. It seemed my Colin-Farrell-bad-boy reputation had a way of preceding me.

I wasn’t always like this, but after you move around a bit, lose your former house in a fire, then get kicked out because another dog doesn’t like you, you have to become tough. But that didn’t change how much I would love my humans… assuming I would meet them. I guess people just couldn’t see that.

After a year of waiting, Suzanne found my profile while searching online. She’d lost her dog a few years back and wanted a friend for Miss, her remaining dog. She’d never adopted before, and after extensive warnings about my “behavioral issues,” she still wanted to meet me.

I was intrigued. Apparently she worked with human kids in the same situation as me… in foster homes, waiting for a permanent family to love and call their own. She understood we foster kids sometimes behave differently than we would in a forever home. (Why can’t everyone see that?) So I was a little wary of meeting new people… do you blame me? She didn’t. And so males freaked me out a bit… was that crazy? She didn’t think so.

They say when you meet “the one,” you just know. Whoever “they” is, they is got it right this time.

On the night we met, I knew she saw right through my rough-around-the-edges exterior. I couldn’t contain my happiness and went right into her warm embrace. I felt safe. She said, “Come on, Vinny, let’s go home.” I knew there was no turning back.

Suzanne took a chance on this hard-luck-pup, and I was determined to make sure she never regretted it. Her male friend and I became the best of friends, playing fetch and going on walks everyday. Her little human girl is an angel, and I treat her like one. Oh, and her other little dog, Miss? Two words: soul mate.

The best part? She always smiles and tells people that I “have brought so much life into her house, am as smart as a whip, and that she truly believes I misbehaved just so I could come home.” Well, well… it looks like my plan worked after all. And it was all #ThanksToMaddie!

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