Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party, views pets as part of the family.

Her daughter wanted a puppy for her 8th birthday. Not just any puppy, but a puppy that wouldn’t grow too big. She would take care of it. This was going to be her dog, just like her mother had her own dog, Ruey. So the hunt for a small breed dog was undertaken. Not an easy task, as it seemed every available small breed puppy was snapped up as soon as the litter was advertised. It was the little girl’s grandmother who found a breeder with a litter of Shih Tzu puppies before an advertisement was posted. While celebrating her birthday with relatives in the United Kingdom, the little girl learned she would get a puppy upon returning home to the Maritimes. Soon Elizabeth May and her daughter were driving out to Berwick, Nova Scotia so Victoria-Cate could select her puppy from the litter. Didn’t matter which puppy she selected, Victoria-Cate had decided Spunky was going to be the name, as a tribute to her favorite Beanie Baby character.

Elizabeth May had decided, before bringing the pup home, to implement some rules to ensure Spunky’s primary bond would develop with Victoria-Cate. And, as we all know, great plans sometimes go awry. Much to May’s sorrow, Ruey, the dog she had found abandoned at the side of a road 16 years before, died between visiting the Shih Tzu litter and the time they brought Spunky home. As a result Spunky became the centre of their attention and over the years has evolved into May’s dog, particularly now that Victoria-Cate is away at university.

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