Dog of the Month, November 2017: Etta

At last … Those two words open and close a cherished jazz standard by the iconic singer Etta James. As the lyrics go, “At last, my love has come along. My lonely days are over, and life is like a song.” And for Kristen Sluiter, those words ring true.

Last year, Kristen was facing some ongoing struggles with anxiety. “I had floated the idea of getting a dog for companionship and anxiety reduction,” she says. “My then therapist thought it would be a great idea, and she was right!”

On November 19, 2016, Kristen adopted 8-week-old Etta, a beautiful German Shepherd who is our November Dog of the Month. “Just Etta’s presence in my life has brought my anxiety down and given me so much joy,” Kristen says.

And Etta is named after Kristen’s maternal grandmother, who went by the name Sarah but was actually named Etta. And Kristen is a big fan of the singer, so it all made sense.

Now a year old, Etta is a star in her own way: playing soccer. “She is obsessed with playing with a hard, plastic ball at the dog park,” Kristen says. “She basically has taught herself to play soccer with the ball!” In addition, Etta loves doing agility work and is very curious and protective—“she is a Shepherd after all! But really, she’s a goofball and full of love!”

Also answering to the names Etta Bee, Boobaloo, and Schmoopy, Etta visited Rainier Veterinary Hospital recently for an eye infection. The good news is that it’s all cleared up! “Her eye is right as rain now!” Kristen says. “It was hard to determine, but it’s likely she had an allergic reaction to grain in food. So we switched her food, and she’s doing fantastic.”

And to us, that is fantastic news! Thank you, Kristen, for being such a caring Dog Mom and for sharing Etta with us. And we’re so happy the two of you found each other … at last.

About Our Dog of the Month Program

How our Dog of the Month program works: Each staff member provides a nomination for the distinguished honor, and then we vote. The highest vote wins! Any pup who visits us during the prior month is eligible.