True Tales of Pampered Pets

People will do just about anything for their animals, as your stories show

- BY Reader's Digest Readers

Hound Couture

My shelter dog, Eddie, was a muscular mix of Labrador retriever and pit bull, with very little body fat and lots of stamina. He loved to swim in the frigid Puget Sound. We’d have to drag him out even if it was snowing. His little body would shiver for hours, so when we were back at home, I'd warm him up with blankets right out of the dryer. Eventually, I got him a custom wetsuit made from sleek turquoise and black neoprene. He'd get excited as soon as I brought it out. After that, it was even harder to get him out of the water.

—LINDA RENNER Round Hill, VA

Eviction Notice

There’s only one chair to watch TV in my small loft. Miss Kitty usually sits on my lap for a few minutes, then gets on the arm of the chair and pats my shoulder. This is my signal to sit on the floor so she can have the chair to herself. Once, I decided to stand my ground, and she left the room and was standoffish the next day. The message was clear: Concede or face the consequences.

—JUDY CRANE Tijeras, NM

That Dog’ll Hunt

I was away one Easter and left my husband and our toy poodle, Duke, home alone. My husband celebrated by filling plastic Easter eggs with dog treats and hiding them around the house. Duke was delighted. When he found one, he would crush the egg with his paw to get the treat inside. A tradition was born, and we now hold an outside doggy Easter egg hunt each year in our yard for all our pups and grandpups.

—JEANETTE SUKHU Fuquay-Varina, NC

The Juice Is Worth the Squeeze