We had always wanted a dog, and after many “We’ll see's" and “Probably not's," my brother, sister and I knew we were wasting our breath asking again. So, when the moment actually arrived, we were shocked!

 

On a sunny Saturday afternoon, my siblings and I suspected nothing, only that we were driving out for a fun field trip to Honey Brook Farms, the supplier of the milk and eggs that we buy at the Del Ray Farmers' Market. As soon as we arrived, we heard loud barking. 

 

Then we glimpsed a dog pen where two large, white, fluffy dogs and three adorable, tiny, soft puppies were running around and barking. We ran toward the dog pen, and my parents stopped us. 

 

“We aren't just here to visit the farm,” my mom told us, “We’re here to pick up our dog!”

 

We gaped at them, staring in disbelief. 

 

“You’re kidding, right?” we asked.

 

“No! We're getting a dog!”

 

At that very moment, a farmhand came out and asked our parents, “Y’all are the ones getting the puppy, right?”— which confirmed our wildest, most joyful dreams. 

 

Fifteen minutes later we were driving home with the cutest puppy snuggled in our mom’s arms. Since she had been born at Christmastime, we named her Belen, which means Bethlehem in Spanish. We were all instantly in love with her. I mean, really, how could you not like a small, soft, white fuzzball with two brown eyes and a big, black nose? Soon, it was as if she had always been part of the family.

 

Now, more than a year later, Belen is 75 pounds of fluff and muscle, and still growing. She protects all of us as if we are her sheep and loves us so much. If the kids leave to go to the Farmers' Market, she'll break her way out of the yard to catch up with us, with our dad chasing after her in his pajamas. 

 

Belen has definitely become part of the Del Ray dog scene. She loves to take walks in Mt. Jefferson Park, wanting to play with every dog she meets. Strolling down Mt. Vernon Avenue, she makes a beeline for the businesses with treats outside. Visiting Bark Social is one of her favorite things, and it’s very funny to see her get a brain freeze while she’s licking a puppy pop from Dairy Godmother.

 

After years of living in Del Ray, our family has noticed that when Belen joined our home, opportunities opened up to make a new group of friends, both dogs and humans.