My name is Harley. My kids call me Harley Boy, Guapo and all kinds of other names I respond to. If it wasn’t for me these kids would all be goners. I have been taking care of them since Ivey was a baby in a bumbo seat and Ayden had just learned to walk. Let me tell you these two get into trouble everyday. All my hair is turning gray thanks to them and I have panic attacks regularly. Mostly I worry about what will happen when I am gone. You see these kids have a life where they travel the World following their Mom around. Why just last week in Colombia one of them walked into a jungle area that was clearly marked to not enter and got stung by an insect. That seems like it's not a big deal but they’re allergic! Their faces swelled up like that blueberry girl in Willy Wonka. They needed benadryl stat and if I wasn’t there to start barking and causing a raucous I don’t think any of the other humans would have gotten to them fast enough. Did I forget to mention I am their chihuahua? 

I'm not sure how I ended up here. These kids weren't my first. I used to take care of another little boy. One day I was let out and went walking downtown by myself when all of a sudden some crazy man came running after me. I tried my hardest to get away but these little legs are practically useless. He snatched me up and put me in his creepy van filled with cages. It felt like I was in there for hours. I woke up in a room full of other dogs kept in cages. I normally don't get scared easily but i have to admit i had a slight pit in my stomach at the moment. It didn't take me very long to figure out that I was in the pound. I don't know how long I was there but it had to have been over a week. One day I was taking a nap for the tenth time that day and these two little kids came prancing in. They look almost identical. I stood up out of curiosity and the little girl came up to my cage. She looked at me and gave me the sweetest smile. She called over her brother and parents and they all huddled around me. I didn't want to get my hopes up but my tail couldn't help but wag. I really wanted to call them my new family. When they left my heart broke. I had never been so disappointed in my life. The nice lady that always lets us go out for walks came but only let me out of my cage and nobody else. She told me I was in for a surprise and my stomach dropped because I didn't know if the surprise would be good or bad. She brought it to a little room and there they were. The two identical kids and their parents again. I was so excited, they really came back for me. The mom left for a little while but I hardly noticed because I was having so much fun with my new kids. When the mom returned she brought an unexpected friend with her. Her name was penelope. She was white, fluffy, and she had the prettiest eyes. She immediately came over and started sniffing my butt. She was so sweet to me. 

“Hey, I’m Penelope!” she said with a wagging tail. 

“Hi, I'm Harley! Nice to meet you.” I replied.

It didn't take long for Penelope and I to become best friends. She was older than me and didn't always want to play with me because she much rather just nap in the sun. Honestly she was more like a cat than a Bichon. I didn't care though I was so happy to have her around. We had so many fun adventures together. My favorite was when we all went to visit the giant mountain with heads. I think it was called Mount Rushmore or something like that. 

Penelope got so car sick on the way there she threw up all over Iveys shoes. It was the funniest thing ever. I nearly threw up right after her from laughing so hard. 

My second favorite trip would have to be when we went to Puerto Vallarta and lived on the beach for a whole year. It was probably the best time of my life. The kids were always taking us for walks on the beach, we were always going to new places, and the neighbor dogs were the best. 

It wasn’t long after that Penelope got really sick. Nobody could figure out what was wrong with her but she wouldn't eat, she wouldn't play, she wouldn't even talk to me most of the time.  

Anytime I went to play with her she was too tired. I could never be upset with her, I knew if she felt good enough she would've played with me all day.  One night she came to sleep in my house with me. I didn't think anything of it. I just thought she was too tired to go to hers. 

“Harley, If I were to be gone do you think you'd be alright without me?” she asked. 

“Why would you ask such a question?” I replied.

“Do you think you'd be able to take care of the kids on your own?” she continued. 

“I guess we'll never know because you're never going anywhere. Why are you asking?” 

 I don't know if it was because deep down I knew what she meant by “gone” or if because I was so scared to lose her but my heart sank to my stomach as she continued on. 

“Sometimes I worry that you won't be able to handle being by yourself and having to watch over the family alone” She said quietly. 

I stayed quiet for a while not knowing what to say. 

“Let's just get some sleep, ok?” 

She passed away that night, but she's still here with me at heart.