Those Special Dachshunds: Meet Molly!

Thanks so much to Melinda Fancher for sending in this great photo and story of 'Molly,' the beautiful smooth black and tan who hails from McLean, Virginia.  She writes:

Dear Joey and Maggie,
This is Molly. She's so cute. And she's very special, as they all are!  Her seventh birthday is January 4th. Everyone thinks she is still a puppy, though she's been through a lot! She had a Stage Two mast cell tumor removed in April 2009 and suffered a slipped disc on September 27, 2008. She regained the use of her back legs after 8 weeks of crate rest and medication. I'm hoping 2010 is a better year for my little girl!
I got Molly in March 2003, while taking care of my terminally ill mother. Molly was good company for her (and me, too), although I don't recommend getting a puppy during such a stressful time. The experience might have to go into the category, "A supposedly fun thing I'll never do again," with apologies to David Foster Wallace.
That's not to say I would trade Molly for anything in the world. She's a very good girl who loves her ball and wags her tail whenever she sees me! I'm very lucky to be owned by her.

We're hoping that Molly has the best birthday ever in a few weeks!