By Meredith Counts

Love sings in his sleep. Love points lawn ornaments and licks the grill. Love was supposed to be a medium-sized dog. Love makes eye contact before he farts. Love jumped on the table and ate all the meatballs. Love is a toddler-tackler. Love pooped in my shoe. Love hates the neighbors. Love eats the yellow snow. Love got stuck in the dishwasher. Love is a bed hog. Love stole ham. Love noisily slurps where his balls used to be, then kisses the baby. Love had to be carried up the stairs for months. Love knows the pizza crusts are for him. Love tries to dig up the old dog’s cremains. Love stinks. Love hates the bath and ruined the screen door. Love is deceptively small when napping.

MEREDITH COUNTS lives and writes in Chelsea, Michigan. Rudy Counts was adopted from Homeward Bound Animal Shelter in Manistee, Michigan. He weighs 70 pounds but had very small paws as a pup.