A Pup Named Pepsi and Their Sundays Story

A lucky shelter pup who found her forever home is a 3 ½ year-old Dapple Chiweenie named Pepsi. Her pet parents, Tim and Cris, adopted her from the Humane Society of Sonoma County after seeing her profile on the shelter’s site. 

Pepsi’s name felt like a sign to Cris because it was her father-in-law’s favorite drink and they happened to be looking at the site on the anniversary of his passing. So she and Tim went to the shelter to take a look at the pup for themselves.

“We went to the shelter but couldn’t find her so we thought she had already been adopted. Luckily, we asked about her before we left and the adoption supervisor said she was still there, in the back because she was so stressed out and on anxiety meds.” 

The adoption supervisor even asked if they wanted to see a list of Pepsi’s “issues” before they met her. Tim and Cris weren’t too worried about any issues the dog had and were interested in meeting her to see if she would be a good fit for them. 

“Almost every behavioral issue on their list was checked off – separation anxiety, fear of strangers, environmental anxiety, handling issues, eating apprehension, and possible fear of men. We were told she had been running the streets of Stockton, CA with two other dogs, had possibly been shot, was caught, and taken to the Stockton shelter before getting transferred to HSSC.” 

Pepsi’s runaway pals were adopted first, so she was very lonely after that. She was eventually adopted and then sadly returned to the shelter a month later. Her former pet parents wouldn’t even say why they were returning Pepsi to the shelter. 

After learning Pepsi’s full history, the adoption advisor asked if Tim and Cris still wanted to meet her. They said yes and the pup was brought out for them to visit. 

“We sat with her for a while and she kept her distance and stared at us, but didn’t seem panicky or freaked out, just observant. I’ve worked with animals all my life, and my husband and I felt we could overcome her problems. We thought she just needed stability, security, and love after her tumultuous start. I work from home, so I would be with her all the time. And even if she didn’t want to be a snuggly dog, she’d at least have a safe and loving forever home.” 

Needless to say, Tim and Cris adopted Pepsi and happily welcomed her into their home. They anticipated Pepsi to be shy at first, but after opening her crate, Cris was surprised when the pup crawled right into her lap with her tail wagging.