If you follow our Instagram stories, you may have seen that we recently welcomed a new member to the Petersik family. I wanted to properly introduce her here on the blog. Meet Penny.
After Burger, our chihuahua of 15 years, passed away in October, we were devastated. Losing him left a quiet space in the house – his collar and blanket became keepsakes tucked away because seeing dog things everywhere made the absence feel louder. For a while, every sunny spot in the house felt oddly empty without him.
We wanted to give another dog a loving home someday, but we weren’t sure when we’d be ready. Many of you reached out with comforting words and stories about pet loss, and people kept saying “you’ll know when you know.” That advice sounded vague at first, but it turned out to be true.
Gradually, the sharp pain softened. We no longer felt a pang every time a dog walked by, and memories of Burger began to bring more smiles than tears. We started laughing again about the little things he used to do, like gobbling up a stray piece of spaghetti or getting a scrap of paper stuck to his nose.
In December we began casually browsing shelters and rescue pages, mostly to learn what was out there. On New Year’s Day, about two and a half months after Burger’s passing, we saw Penny on a local rescue page and felt an immediate connection. We applied through the rescue, messaged the foster mom, drove out to meet Penny, and were chosen as her adoptive family all in the same day. What a way to start the year.
This photo was taken the day we met her at the foster mom’s home; she put her head right into our daughter’s cupped hands. From that moment, we all fell for her.
Penny came from a home where multiple dogs were surrendered to the rescue because the owner felt they deserved better care. The foster mom had a house full of dogs that night. Penny is about two and a half years old and had never been to the vet or received vaccinations. She was also in heat when we rescued her, so the first few days of the year were spent getting her up to date on shots, scheduling spaying, and obtaining a full checkup. The vet gave her a glowing bill of health and noted she was slightly underweight, so Sherry has been joyfully spoiling her to get her to a healthy weight.
Penny is definitely a mutt. The rescue guessed Chihuahua/Yorkie, which many people call a “Chorkie,” though we occasionally see hints of Miniature Pinscher or Dachshund in her. We sent off a breed identification kit our friends recommended and swabbed the inside of her cheek for testing. Penny sat patiently while we did it—Burger definitely would not have been so tolerant. We’re excited to see the results.
UPDATE: We received the breed identification results about a month after sending the swab. The top breeds matched the rescue’s guess and offered a few surprises. It confirmed some Chihuahua, Yorkie, and Dachshund ancestry, and also showed traces of breeds we didn’t expect. The results were fun and informative for us.
Our kids named her Penny, and the name fit immediately. Her copper coloring in places—especially the two little round spots between her ears—reminded us of a penny, and she felt like our lucky find. The nicknames came quickly: the family favorite is “Penny No Pants,” Sherry sometimes calls her “Penny Lane,” and I amuse myself by pretending Penny is short for odd words like “Pendulum” or “Pensacola.”
Penny is an enthusiastic snuggler. Whenever anyone sits down, she’s there to curl up beside or on top of them. Her one floppy ear is endlessly charming. She loves the beach too—she adores digging in the sand and watching birds, even though the birds rarely cooperate and stay put.
We initially assumed we might adopt a puppy, thinking we wanted to share as many years as possible with our next dog. But as we looked through rescue listings we realized that puppies move quickly and adult dogs often wait longer for homes. Looking beyond puppies led us to Penny, and we’re so happy it did. She turns three this summer, and we’re already planning a small celebration.
Penny has settled into our home beautifully. She follows Sherry around and checks every room when Sherry leaves, seemingly worried she might be hiding. She’s acclimated to our work-at-home life by becoming the ultimate desk companion—right now she’s trying to nap with her head on my laptop keyboard while I write this. When the kids get home from school they’re quick to claim their snuggle time with her.
Penny has quirks all her own. She has surprising agility and can spring onto tables and over couch arms with cat-like ease, which makes us joke she’s half mountain goat. She also enjoys stretching out with her back legs splayed behind her—an odd but adorable pose that seems comfortable to her. And when she smiles in her sleep during a cuddle session, her little mouth curls into the sweetest expression that melts us every time.
We don’t know the full story of her first few years, but she seems genuinely content and grateful to be with people who love her. It’s bittersweet that Burger never met Penny, but we like to think he sent her to us. She feels like she was chosen for our family.
In short: we are so happy to have Penny. She’s already woven into our daily life and will likely appear in photo-heavy posts around the house—lounging in a sun spot, snoozing on a lap, or perched on a piece of furniture to get a better view outside. We hope you enjoy seeing Penny around here as much as we enjoy having her.
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