Darlene Corcoran got her dog JC, who is part pug, part Boston Terrier, about 3 1/2 years ago from a breeder in Yakima who breeds Terriers and pugs.

Cororan grew up in West Seattle and when her husband passed away four years ago she was living in Bellevue. Her daughters had gotten out of school and had moved here. They loved it and said, 'Mom you are moving to West Seattle.'

Her daughters said she needed a dog. "A month after my husband died, my oldest daughter and her son drove me to Yakima and we got JC."

She is named after the initials of Corcoran's late husband. "We were trying to come up with a name and we didn't want it to sound like a boy's name or girl's so we decided just to call her JC," in a form of tribute to him. "He loved animals," said Corcoran.

JC loves to jump according to Corcoran, "She thinks she belongs in a circus. She will get on something, jump up in the air and twist around. She loves everybody but she's still a dog and you never quite know what dogs are going to do."

Despite that aspect of unpredictability, Corcoran said that JC is a, "pattern dog. She does the same things a lot. In the morning when I get ready she knows exactly what I'm doing. She sleeps on the bed and no matter how I move or whatever until I'm out of the shower and ready, she peeks her head up and she'll stay there until I come over and start moving the bedding. Then she will get up and look at me, and I'll say, 'You can get down' and she will hop down off the bed."

JC loves to play and loves other dogs. "I think the thing I enjoy the most is, my kids have a boxer and Lucy the boxer thinks she's a little lap dog and JC thinks she is the big 'I'm going to run the show' dog. When they run around and play she is the one who is in control."

JC's diet gets a dry food, lamb and rice flavor and she loves Puperoni with potatoes in it as a treat.

There are no toys but she does have a favorite blanket and a couple of outfits, a sweater and a rain jacket.

Corcoran said of JC, "If you're not a dog owner and don't think you'd get anything out of it you are really missing something. It's God's gift. She loves me and I love her unconditionally."