He’s smart. He’s cute. He’s cuddly. His name is Percy, and this March he turns five.

We rescued him from a puppy mill in Dubai. And the second I saw him laying across my hubby’s chest, completely trusting him, I knew he was coming home with us. Never-mind that the adoption fee made it nearly impossible to pay our bills that month. He was to be ours. Even if we had to eat rice and beans a bit often for three weeks.

Not once have we regretted that decision. He makes us laugh, he forces us to get off our couch and off to walk at least twice per day, and he always can sense when it is time to simply cuddle, quietly. When I was facing repeated episodes of pancreatitis or gallbladder attacks, he seemed to know I was sick a few hours before I knew what was going to hit. We realized that his cuddling up was a trusted signal that I needed to get into a hot bath and drink some apple cider vinegar to head things off early.

Percy loves everyone. Every new dog is his potential best friend. Every child is worthy of a wagging tail and licked palm. Any lady is probably his girlfriend, and every guy a new play partner. He’d rather socialize than eat, to be honest. So sometimes I sprinkle cheese bits in his food bowl to get enough calories in him to last awhile.

Percy lives for the “Do you want to go outside?” question. If we just happen to discuss taking a “walk” he can rise from dead asleep, bouncing and ready to go. Because he knows that word and he’s sure it is always about him if we use it. He’s adjusted to wearing coats in our new, Midwest home, and once dressed to go outside, he races about on his 26 foot lead with exuberance and joy. Which means we sometimes wait forever for him to do his business!

Off lead, he is the Ferrari of all dogs…so quick! So powerful! Small, but mighty. I’m in awe of his prowess racing up and down sand dunes. But that freedom is rare and always within the confines of a dog park, because I believe his innocence and drive to meet squirrels and geese and other cats could lead him to accidentally run off in front of traffic or lead him to another home, without us. And I can’t imagine life without him, so harness and lead it is. And since he doesn’t know differently, he’s happy.

I’m pretty sure my Facebook friends all feel like they know Percy by now. After all, I probably have posted about him almost every month of his life! But any of them who have met him fall in love with him, too, and totally get it why he’s so special. When living in Dubai, we knew many single ladies who got homesick for their families and pets back home; Percy was allowed to do house calls and to provide puppy therapy. Because he just has that knack of knowing when people need his gentle, quiet, completely-accepting-as-you-are LOVE.

I challenge the world to be more like our rescue pup: More focused on people than the next meal, more focused on joy than sadness, more willing to cuddle and cheer someone up, and completely accepting and kind-hearted, always assuming the best in everyone he meets. What a wonderful world that would be.