Simon Cutting

Thank you for choosing Simon as pet of the Month. I first learned about Simon from my former wife, Carol. Each of her female Jack Russell terriers had just had a litter of puppies. Simon was the smallest of the puppies and seemed to have some special needs. He was the runt, and not big enough to compete with his larger siblings, so Simon's mom, Scudder, wasn't feeding him enough. Carol let Toffee, the other mom, nurse Simon until he was stronger.

Simon (named after the lead character in the movie Simon Birch) was a fighter and began to thrive. As he grew, it became apparent that one of his ears was deformed. His face, and especially his nose, is a bit crooked.

Though many people who came to see the puppies were immediately drawn to Simon and his uniqueness, Carol wanted Simon to go to a home where she knew he would be loved and taken care of. She asked if I would be interested in giving him a home. After visiting with him, I fell in love with him because he's so full of life and love. Simon is now 15 months old, and is, by far, the most loving, happy and best pet/friend I've ever had.

He does have some physical peculiarities, and gave me quite a scare recently. In December, he choked on a piece of puppy food and was in the hospital for several days. He also doesn't have any outer eyelids, and I frequently wake up to find him "looking" at me in his sleep.

Simon is a lover. He likes all other animals and children. Everyone at my job knows him and I'm asked about him daily. He loves to play, especially "fetch". His favorite toy is a ball that squeaks. I can't take a shower without him dropping his ball into the tub. If I don't toss it out for him, he hops in after it. He LOVES my complete attention. If I'm on the phone, his weapon of choice is his loudest and most annoying squeaky ball.

In closing, Simon is priceless. He has rewarded me with love and friendship, without asking anything from me but time. I'm thankful to have him in my life, though I frequently feel I'm just sharing his world.