Arabella may only be a few days old, but she’s already picked up a lot about dog love.
Arabella and her parents had little time to settle down after going home from the hospital after she was born last week to the Kizer family in south Florida. Hurricane Irma was developing off the shore, but early projections indicated that they would be spared the brunt of the storm.
Then everything changed.
Arabella’s father, Nick Kizer, told The Dodo, “We had no preparations to escape until the hurricane turned and came directly for our home in St. Petersburg.” “My wife and I felt that keeping her in Florida was too unsafe, so we packed up and moved to Tennessee.”
With that, the young family loaded Arabella and their pets into their car for the long drive north. Leaving home with a baby in tow was a difficult experience, but Nick and his wife soon learned that they weren’t the only ones who thought Arabella’s safety was paramount.
Nick drove with two of the family’s pets in the passenger seat. Dezzy, Arabella’s mother, stayed in the backseat with the infant and their 8-year-old French bulldog, Ziggy.
To be sure, the setup was snug, but having Ziggy so close to Arabella ended up being a gift in disguise.
“Ziggy has always been fond to pups, but we’ve never seen him with a baby. We were a little concerned about how he would perform with her because it was the first time they were in such close quarters “Nick said. “However, Ziggy spent the whole journey keeping an eye on my daughter Arabella.”
Ziggy kept watch on Arabella’s behalf as the hours passed.
“Seeing him look over her during the vehicle journey made us feel a lot better,” Nick added. “It had been stressful trying to get petrol to go out of Florida, so seeing how serene it was inside the car was quite reassuring.”
Of course, Nick wasn’t alone in the front of the automobile as he directed northward.
His, on the other hand, were noticeably less attentive.
The Kizers, fortunately, made it to safety in time. And, after sitting out the hurricane with family in Tennessee, they made the arduous trek back to Florida to resume their lives where they had left off.
Their home was unharmed by Hurricane Irma, however Nick stated they did have some stuff that was damaged. Overall, having to evacuate their dogs and daughter so soon after her birth shown that they are as strong as ever since they are all together. That will continue to be the case as Arabella grows older.
“We’re overjoyed that she’ll be able to raise her own pack of dogs,” Nick remarked. “Ziggy has been with my wife and myself since we were 18, and we are now 27. Ziggy has been with us during my four years in the Army, as well as the ups and downs of life, and it’s incredible to see him now guarding our young child.”
