text and photograph by Juli Leonard

Wired curls, a confident jaunt, and a watchful eye are the trademarks of Faith, a small terrier/schnauzer mix. She is often seen accompanying her owner, attorney Walter Rand, to work in downtown Raleigh.

Despite her “mixed” genealogy, Faith has a true terrier’s soul. She has a patrolling eye for potential vermin, and a master she is keen to protect. Faith is not a dog who will give a stranger her heart, but rather meets your eye, gives a quick ruff, and accepts the pat.

Faith was adopted by Walter and Trish Rand after they lost their two older large dogs simultaneously to cancer.  They wanted their young daughter, Lucy, to have a dog, and so Trish picked out Faith at a terrier rescue in Greensboro. The small dog immediately became a part of the family. She even made herself at home right away at Walter’s law office, where she dutifully accompanies him through parking garages and elevators to play with the other office dogs every day.

When asked to describe Faith, Walter Rand says one word: “fast.” He says Faith’s hunting instinct once took over once while she was briefly confined in the backyard, and despite her constraints, caught a chipmunk. “It was impressive. I just couldn’t believe she caught it while confined,” says Walter Rand, who says he is continually surprised by this compact canine.