SARAH AND HOLLY'S STORY

When I first started thinking about writing
Sarah's Story, I realized that there is no
way that Sarah can be separated from her
sister, Holly.  I truly believe they are
actually one dog in two different bodies.  I
guess they can be described as a "matched
set" or Siamese Twins.  So their stories will
also have to be told as one.

Sarah and Holly are Jack Russell Terriers
-- sisters from the same litter.  Sarah is a
longhaired Jack Russell like her mother, and
Holly has smooth hair like her father.  They
really don't look alike at all, but to watch
them one would swear they are joined
together by some type of invisible line.  
They play together, they sleep together,
and they even walk around together.  If one
of them is running across the yard, the
other will be running right along side of her.

My daughter, Shelly, is a Jack Russell
Terrier breeder and rescuer.  Her dog,
Bailey, gave birth to eight puppies on
November 5, 2000.  Mom, John, and I
happened to be visiting her the Sunday that
the puppies arrived.  I don't think I ever
saw that many puppies come out of a dog as
small as Bailey.  All eight of them seemed to
be very healthy but one of them was
exceptionally small compared to her
siblings.  At the time I didn't think this
tiny baby would make it, but Shelly said she
would feed her supplemental feedings by
bottle until she was stronger.

I didn't see the pups again until they were
about six weeks old.  Our local shopping
mall was having Pet Night where the pets
could come and have their pictures taken
with Santa.  Shelly brought the eight
puppies over in a basket to have their
pictures taken and, of course, to tell Santa
what they wanted for Christmas.  I'm sure
this little fuzzy puppy asked to get bigger.  
She was not even half the size of her
siblings.  What she didn't have in size, she
definitely made up for in personality.  The
other seven puppies were content to stay in
their safe basket.  The little one insisted on
running all over the mall.  She was not much
bigger than a hamster, and I was worried
that someone would step on her.  Mom was
with us that night at the mall and really
bonded with this little one.

On Christmas Eve, Shelly and Nick came to
our house for dinner.  Mom asked about the
little puppy and Shelly told her that it had
been sold.  Mom was very upset and I was
too, a little bit.  This is when Shelly
brought in our Christmas present.  It was a
very small box with a little basket inside.  
On the top of the box was a rolled up scroll
which read:

Hello, my name is  SARAH

I am in search of a loving home to spend the
rest of my life in.  I am small and I need
some extra tender loving care.  Won't you
please take me in and give me a home?  

After all, it is Christmas.....

Signed with 2 little paw prints.

Well, little Sarah was given a name, a home,
and a family on Christmas Eve.  I wonder if
that's what she asked for when she visited
Santa a few weeks before.

A week after Sarah came to live with us,
Shelly and Nick planned to take a short
vacation.  All the puppies had gone to new,
permanent homes except one.  Shelly asked
if the pup they named "Noel" could stay
with us for a few days.  We picked her up
and Sarah was very happy to be with her
sister once again.  The name "Noel" just
didn't seem to work for me.  I was
constantly finding myself saying "NO,
NOEL" or just calling her name with her
thinking I was telling her "NO", so the name
"Noel" had to go.  I spoke with Shelly on
the phone and told her about my dilemma.  
She said to change it but it had to be a
Christmas name because Noel was a
Christmas puppy.  Nick suggested HOLLY,
so Noel's new name became Holly.  At the
same time, Holly was given a new, permanent
home -- our home.  We saw how Sarah and
Holly interacted with each other, and it
would have been cruel to separate them
again.

Sarah stayed very small throughout the
first 8 months of her life.  Then one day she
just kind of sprouted.  She grew rapidly
and actually caught up with Holly.  They are
now 3 years old and identical in size.  All
the black coloring has disappeared from
Sarah's face and one would never believe
she is actually the same pup who fought for
her life as a newborn.

Holly has grown up to be a very elegant
Jack Russell.  If she were a person, I could
actually imagine her sitting with her legs
crossed, sipping tea out of a little cup.  
Actually, neither Sarah nor Holly display
the traits of a true Jack Russell Terrier.  
Rather than bounce off the walls, they
prefer to just lie on the sofa and cuddle
with whoever is sitting there or just with
each other.  Either way, they will always be
found together.

Sarah and Holly and very important
members of our family and I hope to have
many more memory-making years with them.  
After all, what could be better than
receiving doggie kisses on both cheeks at
the same time?
SARAH - 4 WEEKS OLD
SARAH IN A POCKET
CHRISTMAS WITH SANTA - 2000
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!
COFFEE ANYONE?  
HEY, I'M FINALLY STARTING
TO GROW
HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM HOLLY
SARAH AND 4 OF HER
SISTERS--2 YEARS LATER  
HOLLY - 2003
SISTERS FOREVER
CLICK BELOW FOR MAX AND
AMBER'S STORY