Sparky is not a Dalmatian, although she looks like one and does like to watch the fire trucks from the Belltown Fire Department race down Toms Road.  She is a pointer/pit-bull mix. A very friendly pointer/pit-bull mix.  It just shows that not all pit bulls are mean.  She is a lover, not a fighter.

Sparky is not a very tall dog.  She's sort of short and stocky, with lots of muscle.  She weighs about 65 pounds.  Like most dogs, she'll eat just about anything, strawberries, bananas, cucumbers, cookies, dog food, biscuits, steak, potato chips.  She eats watermelon right off the rind, just like kids do. Her favorite foods are pork chops, pizza and popcorn.  She does not like sushi!!

Her favorite activities are playing tug-of-war, going for walks around the neighborhood, romping in the woods behind Dolan School, being on squirrel patrol in the backyard, licking everybody and everything, and wagging her tail.  She does not like to take baths.

Sparky has many nicknames: Sparks, Sparkles, Sparky Barky, Sparkydukes, Sparkacita, Sparkalicious, Spark Plug and Puppers.

Sparky is a very enthusiastic dog.  When she first meets you, her tail wags like crazy and she wants to jump up and lick your face.  This goes on for about five minutes.  It's just her way of saying hi!  After she does that, she calms down quickly and is like your best friend.

Sparky's "birthday" is April 24.  That was the date we picked her up from Adopt-A-Dog's kennel in Armonk, N.Y., in 1999.  (She was born sometime in 1998 somewhere in New York City.)  Sparky was one year old when we got her.  She was already named Sparky, so we kept that name.

One day soon after we took her home, Sparky chewed through the wire to a lamp when it was plugged in.  She must have gotten quite an electrical shock because she never did that again!!

She has two beds, one in the sunroom and one downstairs in the playroom.  At night, Sparky usually sleeps downstairs, but during warm, sunny days we sometimes move her bed from the sunroom to near the front door.  Sparky loves to sleep in the sun.

Sparky goes to the doctor regularly for check-ups and to get her shots.  She does not mind getting her shots.  She knows they prevent her from getting sick.  Sparky also had two knee surgeries a few years ago, but thanks to the folks at Rippowam Animal Hospital, Sparky is as good as new, chasing squirrels and rabbits and barking at cats.  However, she is getting older and does have a little arthritis, which causes her to limp occasionally.

Of course, Sparky does have some bad habits, all dogs do.  She likes to look for old snacks in the garbage cans in the house, sometimes dumping them over for a little piece of an old cookie.  She likes to sleep on the couches and chairs, leaving them covered in her white hair.  And she likes to make like a big, bad watch dog, barking loud and long whenever a dog or strange person passes the house.  Well, I guess that's not really a bad habit.  It's her job and makes her feel important.

Two ways to tell it's the real Sparky and not an imposter.  Her left ear has three white spots on it.  And the tip of her right ear is missing.  She came that way when we got her.  Who knows what happened to Sparky when she was very young and roaming the streets of New York City.