Poncho, a very handsome boy.
One of my favorite things to watch on the internet are videos of old folks talking about how much they love and dote on their animal companions. This may seem a niche interest, but some of the very best viral pet videos stem from the care and compassion of elderly humans paying special attention to their dog or cat.
Take, for example, this chihuahua who won’t stop asking her daddy for kisses:
Or the lady in New Delhi who takes care of hundreds of stray dogs, and says of her responsibilities, “I am very happy with the dogs. I was not that happy with my husband.”
And most recently (honestly back in 2016, but the internet is currently having a Poncho Renaissance and also can you say EVERGREEN CONTENT MUCH), Betty McCall, who had a custom room built for her chihuahua, Poncho, so that he had somewhere nice to go when guests made him nervous and snippy. His room is a small nook under the staircase with a custom dog door, a doll bed just his size, and tiny lamp and dress hat, should he want to read while looking fancy. Betty’s sisters, Carol and Gayle, helped finish out the whole thing with a rug, decorative antlers, and a sombrero.
Betty says that Poncho thinks he deserves it all, and I’d have to agree with him on that one. The room is fit for a king, which is exactly what poncho is: a regal, slightly neurotic gentleman.
Watch Betty’s adorable room tour here:
Y’all. Poncho has a PIANO. And a teensy framed painting. And the sweetest, most thoughtful mom in the world. I love both of them so much.
Chihuahuas are a breed of dog most commonly described as “yippy.” Many people in my central California hometown consider them pests more than anything else, but I have grown to love them over the years. I feel a connection with them. I, too, get "nervous and snippy" when overstimulated, and like chihuahuas, have a relatively low threshold for said overstimulation.
To see Poncho’s mom create a solution that comforts him rather than try to correct his nervousness through scolding and punishment is an act of empathy that I think we all could learn from.
I hope that Poncho and Betty are settling into their new house well, and that Poncho enjoys his new space whenever the hustle and bustle of guests and visitors gets a little too overwhelming for his liking.
In the meantime, someone needs to get Betty an HGTV show. This would take the tiny house phenomenon to a whole new level.
