Ollie the Poodle

by Drew Williams
(Appleton, Wisconsin)

When our fourteen-year-old Standard Jimmy died, the emptiness around the house was just too much -- we needed a new poodle to love. The twist was, unlike most people, we didn't want to start with a puppy, we wanted a house-broken adult. Tough order.

Through a friend, we discovered Maris Doege and the Standard Poodle Rescue of Wisconsin. After many Standards and many happy poodle years, we never realized there were rescue organizations dedicated to these wise fellows.

Within 2 weeks of contacting Maris, she'd found us Oliver, a year-old jet black purebred Standard whose owners were divorcing.

This long-legged, 70-pound horse bounded into our house for the first interview, promptly took off after our Siamese cat Luna, knocking over a floor lamp and tipping over a recliner in the process. Damage aside, he was exactly what we were looking for.

Four years later, Ollie is a member of the family in every way. And he and Luna are the best of friends.