Minnie Bradish

Minnie came into our lives 5 years ago unexpectedly. I was working at the bank and got a call from a good customer of mine with an odd need. Her daughter had just rescued a 12 yr old puppy mill mother whom had been left out in the cold after a house fire. They were in need of a home that could give her a chance for a loving life she hadn’t gotten to have to that point. I was recently divorced raising two children and wasn’t aware at the time on how we needed Minnie’s love as much as she needed ours. It was love at first sight for all of us and she quickly filled a void we didn’t know we had. She shed the worries she had gotten from years of mistreatment quickly and started to show her wonderful personality. Her signature one ear up and one down would let you know she was listening, but it was still her choice on whether she complied with your ask of her. She had an ability to talk with her eyes and let you know what she wanted. Which normally involved food she shouldn’t have, a walk in the woods to lift our moods, an ask to get under the blanket and cuddle, or to just lay in the sun and soak in the warmth of a summer day. She even found a way to become the litmus test to whom was ok to be around the family. She was happy to play the protector of her family and wasn’t afraid to vocalize if you were welcome or if you didn’t sniff right. My wife still boasts how she passed the important Minnie test. Through all that she had been through she was strong, loyal, and above all loving. She was truly the queen of the house. Even when her sisters Eywa and Nala came home and joined the family. Her grace astounded me. She didn’t yelp if a paw got stepped on, didn’t often complain or whine, and didn’t show her pain late in life after her back was broken and old age started affecting her. She always seemed to continue to stay positive. She is missed dearly yet her legacy carries in the way she helped shape her sister pack and our family as a whole. We will forever be grateful to the time she shared with us.