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. 

“She was great with our cats and found a ball and immediately wanted to play fetch. In no time she was tearing around the kitchen chasing the ball and bringing it back to us, bright-eyed and prancing. She slept between us in bed that night. She was taken off her anxiety meds. We’ve had her for eight months now and she’s happy and full of energy.” 

Although the shelter had hesitations about Pepsi, the Chiweenie proved them wrong. Pepsi is a “happy, energetic, and affectionate princess.” She’s obsessed with playing fetch to the point that Tim and Cris suspect there must be some Retriever in her DNA. 

“She also likes to go for walks and take power naps. She likes to go with us to town. She goes to restaurants and cafes with us in her travel bag, and everyone loves her. Especially us!” 

Pepsi’s true issue after being adopted was finding food that worked for her. Tim and Cris believe that Pepsi had some association with food and stress because treats were used to initially catch her and coax her out of her cage in the shelter. 

“Initially, we tried every type of food from the feed store just to get her to eat something – dehydrated, slow-cooked, human-grade wet food, canned – and ended up throwing most of it away or giving it to the shelter. She would only eat chicken breast but we needed to ensure that she got all of the nutrients she needed. She had anxiety about going to her bowl, so we needed the best food that wouldn’t turn if it took her a while to eat it.” 

That’s when Tim and Cris turned to Sundays for Dogs. Since the food is air-dried and shelf-stable, the fresh ingredients in the food were preserved and wouldn’t go bad when left out in Pepsi’s bowl. 

“Sundays was perfect all around. We can also put it in her Kong when we leave her at home, which is handy. Sundays has truly solved all our issues and we are so thankful.”

Pepsi’s favorite version of Sundays is the all-natural turkey recipe. Tim and Cris say the food has helped to resolve her food stress.