Wienergal
10-15-2000, 11:25 AM
I spent yesterday on the road, transporting two mini black-and-tan smooths for CCDR. Word was, they were going to a kill shelter on Monday if no one picked them up in central Illinois yesterday. Between 11 and noon. No CCDR folks were available, so when I was asked, how could I say no? All I had planned was laundry and housecleaning!! http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/lol.gif
One of the dogs was the family's dog. The other, 8 years old, had belonged to someone in the husband's family who had died; she was then handed off to another family member, whose house burned down; and eventually ended up with this family. They said she wasn't housebroken, so she had been living in a crate in the basement.<IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm23.gif" border=0> Hubby had finally decided they both had to go. <IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm4.gif" border=0> This is what I knew when I left for Springfield in the morning.
When we got to the meeting place, mom was there with the two dogs and two of her three kids. While mom took out the family dog to show off to us ("I gave her a bath this morning!"), daughter was putting the crate with the "other" dog in my car. Then they were gone. Never even got the "other" dog's name.
We drove to the nearest rest stop. My friend John took Tika out for a walk and I opened the crate with the "other" dog in it. I saw a tiny, tiny, little girl just plastered to the back of the crate. I didn't know whether she was going to bite, so I just urged her to come to me, and after a few minutes, she finally came creeping my way.
You all remember the story of Cinderella, right? Well, that was this little girl. While her "sister" had had a bath that morning and was in very good shape, this poor little thing hadn't had a bath in ages. Her ears showed signs of long-term infection. Her breath nearly knocked me over--her teeth were covered with tartar. She had flaky skin. And her claws were so long that they curled sideways, then under.
As soon as I picked her up, she was all over me, licking my face and neck and wagging her tail to beat the band. I took her over to the grass and put her down. She just stood there for a minute, sniffing the breeze. Then she started leaping and running around and rolling in the grass. God knows how long it had been since she'd set foot on any.
She rode all the way back to Chicago on John's lap. She would curl up and sleep, then wake up and climb his chest to kiss him, then look out the window, then go back to sleep. Tail wagging the whole time.
So now I know why she wasn't introduced to us at the drop-off. I'm sure the mother was ashamed at the terrible condition of this poor dog.
She is an absolute LOVE. If anyone is interested in adopting her, send me an e-mail and I'll put you in touch with her CCDR foster mom. I've already told CCDR that I will take her if they can't find her a home. She's 8 and, as we all know, the older dogs are not always adopted. But she's got lots of energy and a TON of love.
One of the dogs was the family's dog. The other, 8 years old, had belonged to someone in the husband's family who had died; she was then handed off to another family member, whose house burned down; and eventually ended up with this family. They said she wasn't housebroken, so she had been living in a crate in the basement.<IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm23.gif" border=0> Hubby had finally decided they both had to go. <IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm4.gif" border=0> This is what I knew when I left for Springfield in the morning.
When we got to the meeting place, mom was there with the two dogs and two of her three kids. While mom took out the family dog to show off to us ("I gave her a bath this morning!"), daughter was putting the crate with the "other" dog in my car. Then they were gone. Never even got the "other" dog's name.
We drove to the nearest rest stop. My friend John took Tika out for a walk and I opened the crate with the "other" dog in it. I saw a tiny, tiny, little girl just plastered to the back of the crate. I didn't know whether she was going to bite, so I just urged her to come to me, and after a few minutes, she finally came creeping my way.
You all remember the story of Cinderella, right? Well, that was this little girl. While her "sister" had had a bath that morning and was in very good shape, this poor little thing hadn't had a bath in ages. Her ears showed signs of long-term infection. Her breath nearly knocked me over--her teeth were covered with tartar. She had flaky skin. And her claws were so long that they curled sideways, then under.
As soon as I picked her up, she was all over me, licking my face and neck and wagging her tail to beat the band. I took her over to the grass and put her down. She just stood there for a minute, sniffing the breeze. Then she started leaping and running around and rolling in the grass. God knows how long it had been since she'd set foot on any.
She rode all the way back to Chicago on John's lap. She would curl up and sleep, then wake up and climb his chest to kiss him, then look out the window, then go back to sleep. Tail wagging the whole time.
So now I know why she wasn't introduced to us at the drop-off. I'm sure the mother was ashamed at the terrible condition of this poor dog.
She is an absolute LOVE. If anyone is interested in adopting her, send me an e-mail and I'll put you in touch with her CCDR foster mom. I've already told CCDR that I will take her if they can't find her a home. She's 8 and, as we all know, the older dogs are not always adopted. But she's got lots of energy and a TON of love.