" Winnie Lew looks a bit like a dog that was created by committee ."
I was also looking forward to finding out the sum of her parts for another reason . Would knowing Winnie Lew ’ s breed mix help me to understand her better ? Things like why she will only sit on the top of the sofa and not on the seat cushion ? Or why she has a penchant for hedgehog squeaky toys ? Or why she loves watching the hummingbirds , but when she sees a cardinal at another bird feeder , she behaves as though our home is under attack ? Might I find out why she must have an allergy shot in the spring and one in the fall ? Is one of her parts responsible for that ?
It was human DNA tests that first piqued my curiosity . I took the Ancestry DNA test ( as did my brothers ) only to discover that according to the sample I submitted , I had “ no detectable DNA .” Not sure what that says about me , but as a preacher , I decided not to resubmit a test until I had a chance to work it into a sermon . Well , that and both of my brothers ’ tests came back saying they were 100 % from the British Isles and had zero markers for any health issues . So , I figured I wasn ’ t going to find out anything very exotic or exciting .
Darling Photos
MEET JACK ALVEY
But back to Winnie Lew and the test . I swabbed around her gums as instructed and sent it in . The results came back about three weeks later . As it turns out , Winnie Lew may be the one and only Pookinghuahua . She is 34 % Poodle ( Toy and Miniature ), 27 % Pekingese , and 23 % Chihuahua . She had a few other breeds thrown in there in very small percentages . By far the most interesting was the Peruvian Inca Orchid — which I had never heard of before . Clearly it was a recessive gene , as that exotic breed happens to be a hairless dog . If a distant relative can be located , Winnie Lew has generously offered to make regular donations of her excessive hair supply to a family member in need . The test also revealed that Winnie Lew did not have any gene variants that would predict any future health issues , and for that , we were both thankful .
But as fun as knowing “ what she is ,” and as fun as it is to say “ Pookinghuahua ,” it really doesn ’ t matter to me what parts make the whole . My four-legged little family member is her own unique , mysterious blend and bundle of fluffy joy . So , in the end , the only true answer takes us back to the beginning , “ What is she ?” Winnie Lew is 100 % dog and 100 % good girl .
MEET AMY GEORGE
Amy George is an Episcopal priest in Selma , Alabama , where she shares an office with her volunteer pastoral care assistant , Winnie Lew . When not doing God ’ s work , you can find Amy doing Dog ’ s work – vacuuming a never ending supply of dog hair , chauffeuring Winnie Lew , and being the provider of endless dog treats . Amy feels blessed to have no fear of ever being attacked by squirrels , UPS delivery people , or small lizards .