It's time for a doggy birthday party

I’ve never celebrated my dog’s birthday before.

Then again, Beauty is a dog. Canines don’t wake up on the anniversary of their birth and expect cake. It’s just like any regular day.

I don’t know the exact day she was born, either. It’s sometime in April.

She’s almost 9 years old now. It’s never too late to start, though, is it?

I’m thinking about throwing Beauty a mini party sometime this month. Cake, decorations and a few dog toys are already in the works. You’d better believe I’ll be uploading pictures to the ’Gram, too.

My birthday is also this month, but I don’t plan to do anything exciting. I’d rather celebrate my little fur ball.

Why bake a cake for a creature who would be just as satisfied with a rawhide bone? Why throw a party for an animal who gets excitement from chasing their own tail?

Well, for lack of a better reason: I just want to do it.

I’ve seen several cute dog birthday party photos over the years, and each time I wonder if I should try my hand at it. I don’t have any kids of my own — nor do I plan to for a long while yet — and Beauty gets excited just to see me walk through the door. And that’s not to mention how thrilled she gets when I offer her a morsel of human food.

A sweet treat, toys and oodles of attention?

She’ll be on cloud nine.

The last year has been a rough one. For someone who moved here about seven months ago, I’m still trying to find a local hobby to pursue. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has made adjusting to a new city difficult for me.

So, my hobby is my dog. Beauty seems pretty OK with that.

The recipe I’m looking at for a dog-friendly confection includes shredded carrots, unsweetened applesauce and peanut butter, among other items. The outcome, unsurprisingly, resembles poop — perfect for my pet who likes to chow on foreign objects from neighborhood dogs’ behinds.

Maybe the plain greek yogurt icing will help to make it more picturesque.

You can also bet I’ll be slapping a few Milkbones in the shape of a nine or a B on top of it. A masterpiece? A monstrosity? Both words seem fitting.

Regardless, I guarantee my best friend will be thrilled to get the first slice.