A Rose by any other name would smell as sweet.

There is a little soul among us.

A whisper of a pup.

A fleeting shadow of what should have been the largest female in her litter.

Her name is Rosebud.

And she is as delicate and beautiful as the name suggests.

She was born into this world with the promise of greatness—her frame the biggest among her sisters, her start seemingly strong.

But then, something changed.

While her littermates grew tall and strong, bounding through the world like little wolves on a grand adventure, Rosebud remained small, like a forgotten ember glowing softly in the night.

She is not weak, nor fragile in spirit. Oh, no!

Rosebud is fierce in her own quiet way.

She does not beg for attention or seek approval from the other pups.

She watches, she observes, and she decides.

There is a wisdom in her eyes.

An old soul trapped in the body of a tiny pup who does not seem to belong in the realm of giants.

Her siblings romp and wrestle, clumsy with strength, while Rosebud stands apart, patient and knowing.

But recently there was a problem.

A few days ago, I noticed Rosebud was dehydrated.

A terrible, silent danger.

A thief in the night that steals away the small and the weak before you even realize it has come.

I moved quickly, gathering her into my arms and bringing her inside.

She drank and drank, as if she had wandered the desert and finally found an oasis.

She ate with a hunger that startled me.

But why?

There was water outside.

And there was food.

And then, it hit me.

Had she been pushed aside?

Had she been too gentle to shove her way in, too patient to demand her share?

I set out new water bowls, changed their positions, and made it easier.

And yet, still, she came to me thirsty.

So now, Rosebud has a new routine.

Three times a day, she comes inside for her own personal feast.

She thanks me with her eyes, deep and soulful, warm and grateful.

She curls up in my lap after she eats, pressing into me, as if she belongs there.

And in those moments, as her tiny body relaxes against mine, I know she does.

The other puppies have grown—huge and strong, bounding past 15 pounds.

Rosebud, at six weeks old, is the size of a four-week-old pup, light as a whisper.

If she is six pounds, I would be surprised.

She is a chihuahua among dire wolves,

A sparrow among eagles.

And yet, she is unbothered by her smallness.

She does not long for the reckless play of her siblings.

She does not seek the chaos of the pack.

Instead, she seeks people.

She seeks love.

She seeks the quiet understanding of a soul who sees her for who she truly is.

Rosebud is special.

More mature than her weeks on this earth should allow.

More observant than a puppy should be.

More patient than life has required of her.

She is not just looking for a home,

She is looking for her person.

A kindred spirit.

Someone who will understand her gentle heart, who will be her protector, her nurturer, her world.

Someone who will sit with her in the quiet and listen to the stories she tells without words.

And so, for this rare soul, I am offering something I have never done before.

A once-in-a-lifetime chance to bring Rosebud into your life—for one single dollar.

The right person will know, deep in their bones, that they are meant for her.

They will understand that she may need extra care, that she may have mysteries yet to unfold.

But they will not see her as a burden.

They will see her for what she is: a gift. A tiny, fierce, soulful gift who will love them in a way only the rarest of creatures can.

You must come to get her, or arrange for her journey to you.

And if you are the one—if you feel it in your heart, if you see yourself in her deep, knowing eyes…

Then reply to this email and reach out.

Rosebud is waiting.

She has always been waiting.

For you.

Click the link below to see pictures of Rosebud.

https://direwolfproject.com/pedigree/7497/

P.S. You must be approved for puppy adoption to be considered for Rosebud. You can apply here:

https://direwolfproject.com/puppy-application/

P.P.S. You can see the *new* pictures of all of the puppies from the Cherry Blossom litter by clicking the following link:

https://direwolfdogs.com/litters/73/

Jennifer Stoeckl is the co-founder of the Dire Wolf Project, founder of the DireWolf Guardians American Dirus Dog Training Program, and owner/operator of DireWolf Dogs of Vallecito. She lives in the beautiful inland northwest among the Ponderosa pine forests with her pack of American Dirus dogs.