A stray little Lhasa dog showed up at my door around 1:30 a.m. Saturday, and she's been occupying a good chunk of my time. An indoor dog, she's been outside for a long journey. Her once-groomed coat is a nest of matted hair (I've slowly been removing the snarls, as she allows me to do so), and her paws are still tender (they were bleeding when she arrived). What should be a luxuriant long tail is merely an awkward stub, as if she lost it in an accident or an attack. She's been sleeping a lot since she arrived, but two baths and a few meals later, she's perking up a little.I feel like the main character in the sci-fi flick Avalon, who prepares hearty meals for her basset hound but eats junk food herself, because I've cooked more for the dog than for me. But she's not eating the regular dog food, only soft stuff. This morning, she had the puppy version of potato salad (mashed potatoes mixed with whole milk, hardboiled eggs, a smidge of salt).
I'm not able to keep her, but I have let local veterinary clinics and the Humane Society know she's here. There's little hope, though, that anyone will come forward. My dad and his wife are coming by this afternoon, and perhaps they have found someone at church who wants a dog. She's a perfect house guest, and a sweetheart.
Between all several trips out of town (another one is coming up this weekend), fighting off illness, and taking care of an unexpected visitor, I've fallen far behind in my NaNo writing. Thousands of words behind. Ah, well. I've been writing, though, and that's never a failure.
Photo taken at Little Portion Hermitage in the mountains of northern Arkansas, November 2007.
6 comments:
beautiful fools, these lost dogs, wandering the hills and wondering how come the world is so unfriendly all of a sudden.
check around and see if there are any breed-specific rescue organizations. they tend to be very good at placing dogs in good homes.
Thanks for the suggestion; I hadn't considered that one yet.
She's older than I first realized, she's endured a lot already, and she has obviously made this place her home. Kinda makes me feel obligated to let her stay. (sigh) Don't absolutely know what I'm going to do.
Do you want to give her up? I know it would present extra responsibility, but have you thought you'd keep her?
There's a conspiracy, I tell ya! (donning my dark sunglasses and looking around furtively)
Between "Miss Thing" choosing my house and needing so much care, and the generous help from Mom, Dad and his wife, I think I'm now a pet owner. Dagnabit! Now I have to be responsible and stuff.
Hey, I didn't see her picture before! She's cute!
She spent all of last week with my dad and his wife and her father. They spoiled her rotten and fattened her up, and everyone loves her, but they already have four dogs and several chickens, and just can't add another critter to the menagerie.
Last night, she went with a family from the Club. The daughter really, really, really wanted her, and the mom reluctantly allowed it. If that doesn't work out, Missy's back with me.
We (me, Dad, and everyone who's been helping care for her) feel guilty, sending her back out into the world, away from our protection.
Post a Comment