[harpospeaking]

I have a dog now. Here's how it happened . . .

It all started with a phone call from my mother while I was at work. For the past two weeks, my mother had seen a small dog at the park she passes on her way to work every day. This poor dog seemed to be wandering aimlessly near the park and my mother became quite preoccupied with it, speaking about it every day as if it were the little match girl from that Hans Christian Anderston story. One Friday, exactly a week before my trip to Japan, my mother calls and tells me she wants us to go to the park first thing Saturday morning and take this dog home.

I love dogs but I had no intention of adopting one, especially right before our vacation. I decided to humor my mother and asked her if she had spoken to my father. She said no, and I figured my dad would put a stop to this and that would be the end of it. Oddly enough, my dad didn't put a stop to it and we were at the park Saturday morning with a leash I picked up from the pet store the day before. A leash, I might add, that I intended on returning once we couldn't find this dog my mother wanted to save.

Saturday morning, everyone was out walking their dogs, so my mother impulsively thought that every dog walking on a leash was this dog she had seen all week. Of course, we didn't find the dog she wanted to save.
A man with a dog following behind him, without a leash, comes into the park and notices that we're wandering around with an empty leash in our hands. He asks if we lost our dog. My mom explains the situation, describes the dog, and the man tells us that this particular dog lives on the corner but comes out on his own to play at the park during the day.

At that moment, we were supposed to go back to the car and laugh this off as a mere misunderstanding. Then, the man points to the dog that was following him and tells us that this dog needs a home. The man, it
turns out, is homeless himself. The dog has been following him for the past two weeks after its owners dropped it off at the park. The man slept in the park last night and has been bringing the dog to friends'
homes for food and shelter.

Of course, we took the dog. The man had been calling the dog "Boy" and Boy did not want to come with us because he was attached to the man. The man helped walk the dog over to my car and we parted ways with a
depressed Boy in tow. The dog was thoroughly depressed for the first three days, not even bothering to lift his head off the floor while the vet gave him 3 shots in the neck the first day. After a few days, however, he slowly started to accept us as his new owners. It's been a little over 6 weeks now that we've had the dog --- a Chow and German Shepherd mix
--- who we've decided to call Guapo (after the bad buy in the movie "Three Amigos"). Guapo seems to love our home and is
acting like a normal dog again, unsettling pots and tearing up shoes.
_________________
"Help! Help! I'm being repressed!" --- Monty Python and the Holy Grail

http://onegirlonehouse.wordpress.com

[gingerpale]

Oh harpospeaking I hope all dog lovers who frequent C&Z read this (I know David is one!). Our 12 year old Lab mix was a "foundling" too--now the most affectionate animal in the world--ain't they great?

[David]

My heart soars harpospeaking! I love what you have done and huge kudos to your mom and the poor homeless guy---and damn those folk who just dumped Guapo off---though he is obviously much better off with you1 Aren't dogs amazing--the way they roll with the punches and decide to give their love to those who will take it??
_________________
Vivant Linguae Mortuae!!

[harpospeaking]

I was reading Cesar Millan's book on dog care and he said something to the effect of "sometimes dogs come into our lives to teach us something" and I think it rings true for me. This dog has taught me that sometimes, somehow, things will will always get better in ways you never expected them to. He's also getting me off the couch and walking every day, which is wonderful for my state of mind!
_________________
"Help! Help! I'm being repressed!" --- Monty Python and the Holy Grail

http://onegirlonehouse.wordpress.com

[Debbie]

Congratulations on the new baby!!!!!!!!

I ditto what the others said. Good on you for giving a home to a poor little orphan furbaby. You guys obviously have huge hearts and lots of love to share and have returned. Hope he settles in quickly and gives you many many years of pleasure.

We are awaiting a decision on a furbaby adoption ourselves. A friend has a cat which is having a hard time adjusting to a new home and baby (they already have a toddler) on teh way. She has no time to spare and feels guilty. The cat loves us - and we love it. In fact we babysit when they go away. Waiting to see how the cat copes and if it doesn't, then it is ours.

If our adoption falls through we are going to wait till after summer (and the dumping of pets by families going away) and adopt a puss from the cats home.

I cannot go through another winter without a cat to curl up with.....
_________________
If you cannot feel your arteries hardening, eat more cheese. If you can, drink more red wine. Diet is just "die" with a "t" on the end. Exercise is walking into the kitchen.

[harpospeaking]

I hear you about the cats Debbie. I have two cats as well (abandoned kitties --- one found in a hospital parking lot and another left behind with her mom and littermates after an eviction). One of them jumped onto my stomach while I was sleeping this morning, and while I was somewhere between waking and sleep, my mind translated this sensation into my dream of an adorable little girl jumping into bed with me for a nap.
_________________
"Help! Help! I'm being repressed!" --- Monty Python and the Holy Grail

http://onegirlonehouse.wordpress.com