#she got 1 paw muddy by digging and then used her face to get the rock

[kolliekazoo]

Nose > Paw

[sunspill]

1, Clexa AU. 2, Dog AU (where they're both dogs/puppies.)

under the cut

Anya finds the dog by the side of the road. The backroad she takes for the explicit purpose of minimizing contact with other people and getting to work on time, and now she’s pulled over with her hazards on, cursing as she tries to distract the snarling dog with peanut butter cookies she had in the trunk while she tries to cut away the tangle of vines trapping its hind legs.

“Don’t fucking bite me,” she hisses, yanking her arm back just in time. “Eat your fucking cookies.”

By the time she’s cut away enough of the vine the dog is free, it seems to have accepted her as an ally. In fact, it licks at her fingers in search of more peanut butter, then glares when Anya doesn’t immediately produce another cookie. “Yeah,” Anya mutters, getting to her feet and dusting off her pants. “You’re welcome. Just late to work, ruined my jacket, no big deal.”

She walks back to her car, fishing her keys out of her pocket and unlocking the doors with a beep. She’s got the door open and her foot half inside the car when she realizes there’s an expectant furry face at her knee. She stops. “Go,” she says, flapping a hand at it. “Shoo.”

The dog chuffs. Its nose twitches, and, sensing the remnants of peanut butter, gathers its hind legs in preparations for a leap. “No!” Anya yelps, but the dog has already jumped, scrabbling on her seats as it wiggles into the backseat.

Anya leans in, pointing a stern finger. “No. Bad dog. Out! Go home.”

The dog looks straight at her, then yawns, exposing its fangs and lolling tongue.

“I could have left you,” Anya tells it. “You’re just lucky the roadwork slowed traffic down. Now shoo.”

Maintaining full eye contact, the dog leans down and rips a mouthful of foam out of Anya’s backseat. It shreds the upholstery between his teeth and swallows, then curls up with a content sigh, nose on muddy paws.

“I hate you,” Anya says.

++

Anya walks into the vet’s office. “I need a leash,” she says to the first person she meets. “Dr… Reyes.” She pauses. “Dog leash,” she amends. “Also, a collar.”

“I am… concerned,” Dr. Reyes says, reaching under the counter and sliding the requested items over to Anya’s waiting hands.

“Stand by,” Anya says, and goes out to the car. Ten minutes of cursing and a ripped sleeve later, she’s hauling the dog in with two hands, one around the collar and one gripping its scruff.

“Jesus Christ,” Dr. Reyes says, and ushers them quickly into an exam room.

“Healthy,” she declares, fifteen tense moments later. “Also, may not be a dog.”

“What?” Anya doubletakes. She peers at the dog. “It’s definitely not a cat.”

“She,” Dr. Reyes emphasizes, “looks to be at least one quarter coyote.”

The dog(?) yawns again.

“One half coyote,” Dr. Reyes amends. “I’m legally obligated to inform you that you cannot own a coyote dog hybrid.”

“Are you legally obligated to inform any agencies that I brought her in?”

Dr. Reyes sighs. “You live with any other pets? Small kids?”

“No.”

“Got a yard?”

“Yes.”

Dr. Reyes passes over a clipboard. “Do not go to dog parks. Do call any of these--” she produces a few pamphlets “private dog trainers.”

Anya frowns at the forms. “Any ideas for dog names?”

“Princess,” Dr. Reyes says, dry.

“I found her on Alexandria Road,” Anya offers, tilting her head thoughtfully. “Road is a good name.”

“Oh my god,” Dr. Reyes says, snatching the clipboard back and clicking a pen. “Lexa. One syllable, sounds tough. Now go pay way too much to the receptionist while I take your illegal canine to the back for her shots.”

++

Lexa likes to sleep tucked up against Anya’s side, heavy head on Anya’s hip. Then she turns sideways until Anya wakes up in the middle of the fucking night half pushed off her own fucking mattress. She likes to aggressively chase squirrels around Anya’s yard, rip up the neighbor’s flowerbeds while Anya is trying to sneak a late night cigarette during Lexa’s last pee break before bed, and dig holes down to the foundation that require multiple trips to the hardware store for potting soil to fill in.

She’s a good jogging partner, Anya thinks. And it’s funny to see how her eyes glint in the porchlight and her nose wrinkles up when she scares the shit out of delivery men. She keeps waiting to wake up to a ravaged throat or some such nonsense, but Lexa seems to favour sleeping in sunbeams and destroying every single toy Anya buys her in fifteen minutes or less, no matter how indestructible the label claims it is.

++

Anya wakes up to a cold nose in her ear. She cracks open an eye, fumbling at her nightstand for her phone to check the time. “Fuck off,” she groans at Lexa. “You know I’ve got another half hour.”

Lexa yips, right in Anya’s ear. Her teeth gently close around Anya’s wrist and tug.

“Fine,” Anya snaps, flinging back her blanket. “God, you’re a lotta work.”

Lexa leaps from the bed, landing lightly on the floor, and starts scratching at the bedroom door. “Quit it!!” Anya says, slapping at her snout with two fingers. “I’m going, Christ.”

She hauls open the back door and Lexa is out like a shot. Anya yawns, propping an arm up on the doorjam and shivering in the early morning chill. Then she hears a bark in her yard. She blinks. Lexa doesn’t bark. She’s never barked. She growls, she yips, sometimes she howls along with sirens and at her food barrel when Anya is late feeding her. Anya steps out onto the porch, the wood cold on her bare feet.

Lexa yips at her, standing near the big tree in the corner. She darts forward, tail high waving and the hair standing up in a long ridge down her bag, and then back to the tree. There’s another weak bark from behind its trunk.

“Fuck,” Anya mutters, and starts into her lawn, barefoot and shivering. She peers behind the tree, Lexa’s paws scratching in the dirt at her side. There’s another hole under the fence, hidden where Lexa had dug it and Anya hadn’t noticed. “Bitch,” Anya tells her. Lexa yawns.

And in the hole, crawled half under the fence and stuck, is another dog, matted fur and bloody from the wooden fence, still wriggling for freedom. It makes a sad whine.

“Jesus,” Anya sighs, and starts to kick the slats out from the fence. It makes the dog yelp in pain, flail in panic. Lexa licks its nose, gives Anya a glare. “Don’t look at me like that,” Anya grunts, kicking away. “You’re the one with a boyfriend trying to break into your yard.”

She picks up the dog, staggering under its weight. “A girlfriend,” she says, shoving it into the backseat. Lexa hops up beside the new dog, resting her nose on the dog’s neck and licking at her ear.

++

“Oh no,” Dr. Reyes says, when she sees Anya come in hefting a muddied mess of a dog, Lexa trotting offleash at her side. “Tell me your coyote didn’t ravage a seeing eye dog.”

Anya follows her into an exam room and deposits the dog on the raised table with a grunt. “No. I think they’re friends.” The dog’s head lolling off the table, moves around like it’s searching for Lexa, who rises up on her hind legs to nose comfortingly at the dog’s face.

“Aw,” Dr. Reyes says. “True love.”

A power scrub, a haircut, and three stitches later and Anya’s got an anxious coyote dancing around her feet while Raven leads out a very good looking retriever from the back. “A good girl,” Raven pronounces her. “And no chip. I’ll take her to the pound after my shift.”

“Princess is still a good name,” Anya offers, and it makes Dr. Reyes laugh.

Lexa closes her teeth around Dr. Reyes’s white labcoat pocket and rips it clean off, then carries it into the corner to victioursly chow down on the treats within. “She remembers,” Dr. Reyes says dryly. “Go fork over your credit card, I might as well give her a check up while you’re here.”

++

Lexa sighs, really big, and flops over onto her side to check if Anya can see her being completely bereft, her milkbone ignored to the side.

“I’m ignoring you,” Anya says, licking her spoon clean and setting her plate aside.

Lexa roos, low and soft and guttural.

Anya turns the television up.

Anya lifts up the blanket, pats the mattress beside her. “C’mon, you little trash racoon. You can even have the pillow.”

Lexa, curled into a performatively miserable ball, sighs heavily and makes big sad eyes, her tail tucked under her.

++

“Hi,” Anya says, at the pound. “I’m interested in…” she checks her phone. “Clarke.”

++

“Anyway I get a two for one discount?” she asks Dr. Reyes later.

“No,” Dr. Reyes says, ripping a copy of Anya’s bill off the clipboard.

“Anyway I can get your number?”

Dr. Reyes snorts. “If it’ll stop you from adopting feral animals as an excuse to visit me.”

++

Anya drags another food barrel in to sit on the kitchen tiles. Lexa is chasing Clarke around the backyard, her yips interspersed with Clarke’s happy barks. She buys two dog beds, but they only ever end up using one.

[news-mashable-yahoopartner-blog]

20 adoptable senior dogs in need of a new best friend

Forget Shark Week, it’s Bark Week on Mashable. Join us as we celebrate all the good dogs, which we humans do not deserve.

"Ask not what you can do for a senior dog, but what a senior dog can do for you," JFK (not really, but the sentiment is true).

Senior dogs are adopted at a rate lower rate than dogs of all other ages combined, according to a study from the ASPCA. But older dogs make for loyal and calm companions for anyone who wants to skip the energetic, messy puppy stage.   

Shirley Braha, the human who adopted Instagram-famous Marnie the Dog as a senior pup explains why you should consider older dogs when looking to adopt: "Senior dogs are usually pretty chill and just grateful to have a safe place to call home and a human to give them lots of love," Braha says in an email. 

"When you save a senior dog from a shelter, you're rescuing them from what is often a very traumatic experience, and sometimes, sadly, with an even darker fate. You get to swoop in and be a superhero while benefiting in completely selfish ways too because now you have an awesome animal friend." 

SEE ALSO: 9 things you need to know about how to behave around assistance dogs

So if you're ready to add a graying fuzzy face to your home, we worked with Petfinder to find 20 senior dogs from all over the U.S. who need homes. (Even if you're not looking to adopt, scroll through for an instant warming of your feels.) 

From the toothless to the devastatingly handsome, these furry charmers just want we all want — love, treats, and a good place to nap.

1. Kitty 

Image: petfinder

Location: Vintage Dog Rescue, Colorado

This little lady is a nearly toothless, 12-year-old shih tzu who would make the perfect companion for weekends on the couch watching Netflix.

Kitty might sound like the name of a wealthy divorcee who sips champagne with every meal, but this senior pup is quiet and down to Earth. She came to the Vintage Dog Rescue after her human died a few years ago. 

2. Erma

Image: petfinder

Location: Old Dogs New Digs, Portland, Maine

Gaze into the thoughtful eyes of Erma and just try not to be captivated. 

The cattle dog and chow chow mix was found as a stray in Georgia and has since relocated to the coast of Maine to a foster home where she enjoys walks and charming humans with her expressive face.

Just look at this smile:

Image: petfinder

3. Espresso 

Image: petfinder

Location: Muttville Senior Dog Rescue, San Francisco, California

A scruffy look with a sweet demeanor, Espresso is a shot of joy.

Espresso's underbite means her teeth stick out from the patch of grey hair, giving her a grizzled look not unlike that of a life-long fisherman. But all Espresso wants is to curl up on your lap or soak up the sunshine in the park. 

4. Buddy

Image: petfinder

Location: Muddy Paws Second Chance Rescue, Council Bluffs, Iowa

Need a positive influence on your life? Consider Buddy, who loves Brussel sprouts and dancing. 2018 is the year of self-care after all. 

Buddy himself is a self-improvement inspiration after coming into a rescue overweight at 15 pounds. He's working toward a healthy goal weight, but never brags about it because he's not much of a barker. He likes chilling out in his pet stroller or in a doggy carseat, and taking long naps (relatable).  

5. Boone

Location: Gateway Pet Guardians, St. Louis, Missouri

Boone has swagger. And he knows it.

Boone is a suave terrier mix with a slight limp that doesn't stop him from strutting around the neighborhood. 

6. Henry

Image: petfinder

Location: Santa Fe Animal Shelter & Humane Society, Santa Fe, California

Handsome Henry calls Santa Fe home, but he'd love to be a part of your home. 

Henry was surrendered after his human could no longer care for him. At 11-years-old and with a salt-and-pepper coat, he's a senior gentleman who still knows how to have fun. 

7. Wheezer

Image: petfinder

Location: Senior Dog Rescue of Oregon, Philomath, Oregon

"Woo-ee-ooh, I look just like a pug mix" - Wheezer, probably.

This "pug-something" likes to start his day with a little massage to loosen up his arthritic hips, then he's ready to tackle the day by doing something fun like wandering around the yard or snoozing in his doggy bed.

So adopt Wheezer and say, "Woo-hoo, but you know I'm yours, Woo-hoo, and I know you're mine."

8. Fletcher

Image: petfinder

Location: Powell Animal Welfare Society, Powell, Ohio

A smile that could charm even the coldest of souls (read: cats). And the fiercest ear floof on the block. That's 10-year-old Fletcher. 

This chow chow mix gets along with kids, dogs, and yes, even cats and is both house and crate trained. 

9. Checca

Image: petfinder

Location: Liberty Humane Society, Jersey City, New Jersey

If you already have a dog who is in need of a BFF, Checca could be ya boy. 

Checca is 60-pounds of friendly doggo who has made many human and dog friends since coming into the Liberty Humane Society as a stray. Even though he's considered a senior pup at age 10, he still loves playing with toys like an exuberant puppy. 

10. Tommy the Tank

Image: petfinder

Location: Professional Animal Worlds H.A.L.O. Rescue, Sebastian, Florida

Don't let Tommy's wheelchair worry you — he zips around just fine with his wheels. 

A tumble off a sofa nearly killed Tommy, but a veterinarian was able to save him and now he just wants to roll into your heart and your home. He loves cuddles and shows his affection with wet doggie kisses. 

11. Lala

Image: petfinder

Location: Atlanta Humane Society, Atlanta, Georgia

Lala came from a big family of dogs that got to be too much to handle for her humans. She's looking to settle into a smaller family that can help her come out of her shell. She'd do well with other dog friends because who doesn't need someone around who really understands you? 

12. Potter (and Olive!)

Image: petfinder

Location: Senior Dog Sanctuary of Maryland, Severn, Maryland

A mother-son duo who would love to top your cuddle pile. 

It's actually quite incredible that this Yorkie pair can squeeze such big, loving hearts into such tiny little bodies.

13. HoneyBear

Image: petfinder

Location: Lily's Legacy Senior Dog Sanctuary, Petaluma, California

HoneyBear would love to be your devoted honey.

She's currently working to gain some weight after entering the Lily's Legacy Senior Dog Sanctuary underweight after her human experienced health problems. She'd love nothing more than to become a devoted doggo companion in a forever home with or without other dogs. 

14. Cosmo

Image: petfinder

Location: Jefferson Parish Animal Shelter East Bank, Harahan, Louisiana 

Oh, Cosmo. Sweet, sweet Cosmo. 

Cosmo was surrendered by his owner but is now reaching his paw out to you (really, he'll shake your hand), if you're looking for a sweet boy. Cosmo has some vision and skin problems, but he's 75 pounds of sweetness. 

15. Bear

Image: petfinder

Location: Williamson County Animal Center, Franklin, Tennessee

Bear is a photogenic stunner, but it's not just skin deep beauty for this good boy. The 10-year-old shepherd mix is an inquisitive pup, who loves to explore and curl up for cuddles. 

He does well on leash walks (which, of course he wants to show off that face) but will also take a spin around the backyard on his own. 

16. Roxie

Image: petfinder

Location: Bedford Humane Society, Bedford, Virginia 

No, Roxie is not wearing eyeliner, she's just naturally smoldering. 

Roxie spent most of her life working as a therapy dog at an assisted living center for the elderly, but now this elderly lady would like to find her own retirement home. She'd make a calm and loving companion for an older human, but also does well with other dogs and kids.

17. Pixie Willow 

Image: petfinder

Location: St. Louis Senior Dog Project, Saint Louis, Missouri

Pixie Willow knows she's cute. And she is.

The Chinese hairless and long hair chihuahua mix weighs only 5-pounds but she has a big, feisty personality. She'll be your little shadow and only asks for love and playtime in return. You might even get a big smile in return.

Image: petfinder

18. Semperr

Image: petfinder

Location: Cheshire Abbey, Jackson, Mississippi

Semperr is a three-legged Akita mix looking for the right human to give him the devoted attention he needs. Semperr loves to give hugs with his remaining front leg, but would need a home without children or other alpha dogs.

19. Ducky

Image: petfinder

Location: Gray Mutts Rescue and Sanctuary, Clifton, Texas

Who's a fuzzy-faced good boy? WHO? Ducky is, for sure.

In that bowtie, Ducky obviously wants to up your style game. And you should listen to this 5-pound,  wire-haired, apple-head chihuahua.

20. Deuce

Image: petfinder

Location: Forever Loved Pet Sanctuary, Scottsdale, Arizona

Deuce is 11-years-old, but runs around his temporary home with the excitement of a much younger dog. Despite the high energy he shows when taking a lap in the doggie run, he's also a maintenance, smart fellow who was found as a stray. 

He came to the dog sanctuary as a stray and has since charmed all the volunteers who work with him. If you're looking for a furry friend who loves back scratches and rolling around in the great outdoors, Deuce is for you. 

If you're still looking for a senior dog to add to your family, there are plenty of graying and wise dogs who would love your love. 

WATCH: Marnie the Dog recreates memes