Princess truly embodies her name. She is treated like royalty and enjoys being spoiled daily by her owner and the staff members at Team 16. She loves walks and playing in the park and, of course, treats. A corgi, golden retriever mix, Princess has been living in the Team 16 apartment building now for about two years under the watchful eye of Tina, her owner.
Tina first met Princess two years ago after following up on an advertisement in the newspaper. Just a 6-month-old puppy, Tina says Princess came running right to her when they first met. It’s been puppy love ever since. “She’s so spoiled,” says Tina, “but I couldn’t imagine life without her. She even sleeps with me, which is great, except that she snores – a lot!” Tina and Princess are inseparable. Tina likes to take her wherever she is going, as long as Princess is allowed. They go on walks daily and like to visit with some of the neighbors. The dog park is another favorite destination. “Princess pretty much gets along with everyone,” says Tina.
“Tina is very independent and responsible, which is why she has a dog,” says Team 16 Site Supervisor, Krista Staley. “Tina has taken Princess through obedience training courses and has learned to keep Princess under control on walks or around people or other dogs.” Tina manages all aspects of Princess’ care including grooming, which she learned to do herself, and trips to the vet when necessary. During the day, while Tina is at her job at Central Missouri Subcontracting Enterprises (CMSE), her roommate is happy to help take care of Princess – who gets along famously with Snoopy – Tina’s roommate’s cat.
“Tina’s roommate and the staff members all love Princess,” says Krista. “She can be rambunctious, but when she sees a familiar face, Princess flops on her back to receive some belly rubs.”
When Tina and Princess aren’t busy spending time together, Tina is also very active in Special Olympics where she participates in volleyball, basketball, bocce ball and swimming. Tina also recently picked up crocheting and is working on making scarves. Another favorite hobby is counted cross-stitch. Tina says even when she’s working on her craft projects, Princess is right by her side. “She either lays down next to me or tries to sit in my lap, which doesn’t always work out when I’m crocheting.”
One thing’s for certain, Princess is one lucky dog!