National Dog Day, this past week - adopt a shelter dog... Little Dog goes home.... Little dog was cold. She lay on the damp concrete floor, in the corner of the kennel. She dreamed while she slept. She was a puppy, again. Her mother’s sides heaved gently with the drawing in of each breath, as little dog snuggled against her. Her mother’s warmth, her smell, and the quiet beating of her heart calmed little dog, as it had before she was even born. She had only opened her eyes for the first time that morning. The very first thing she saw was “BIG”…a big black nose, nuzzling her in the ribs. Then, a pink tongue gently licked little dog’s fur. She knew this was her mother. Little Dog looked up – directly into her mother’s eyes. She knew right then that her mother loved her, and would protect and care for her. As little dog fell asleep within her dream, she watched her mother gently touch each of her brothers and sisters on the muzzle – as though she were counting noses, to see that they were all there, and all safe. Little dog was small – she had been the runt of her litter. Runts don’t always survive, but, with her mother’s care and love, little dog grew stronger each day. She was the last of her litter to open her eyes – the last to stand – the last to bark…more of a quiet whine, actually. In her dream, little dog smiled, as only dogs smile. Little dog awoke and looked up through the bars of the kennel. A man was looking down at her. He didn’t hurry by like all the rest, and he wasn’t carrying a bucket of food or water. He crouched down and reached through the bars, gently cradling her head in one palm, and stroking her muzzle with the other. “This one”, he said firmly. Little dog noticed that the Bucket Man was there, too. “She’s being put down, today. She has cancer.” said the Bucket Man. “No, she’s not. She’s going home…with Me.” said the Man. “Sir, she hasn’t long left…what will you do when she dies?” asked the Bucket Man. “Miss her. For now, she needs to be with a family, not lying on the floor in some dark kennel. Look at her! She can’t weigh more than 15 lbs!” said the Man, a little agitated. “She was abandoned out in the State Forest. No collar, and her nails are nearly an inch and a half long. We didn’t cut them because we were going to put her down, today. She can’t even stand on her own. They must hurt her something awful.” “Hey, little girl…there, now…” the strange man whispered encouragingly. Little Dog ached, and only wanted to sleep, but this man seemed to want her to come closer, so she stretched her legs, and rose…then stepped closer to the bars. He ran his hand under her belly, where the lump was…it didn’t hurt, but it felt funny. She licked his hand – once. Too tired, she sank back to the floor. The man stroked her sides, as they heaved gently with the drawing of each breath. “She won’t last the week.” the Bucket Man said, sadly shaking his head. “Then she will be comfortable for that week, won’t she…she’s the one.” said the Man, quietly but firmly. “Would you have a leash?” “Okay, sir.” said the Bucket Man, surrendering. He walked to the end of the hall, and took one from a hook. “You may have to carry her.” “Then I’ll carry her.” the Man whispered. He reached up to open the door to the kennel. “Let me get that” said the Bucket Man, and he unlatched the door and swung it open. Little dog stood again, and shook her ears to get rid of the grogginess she had felt since being locked in the little cage the night before. She shivered and lay down again. “Do you have a blanket?” asked the Man. “I’m sorry, we don’t provide those.” said the Bucket Man. The Man looked him in the eye, and the bucket man wavered. “Wait here.” He walked out the door at the other end of the hallway and came back with a jacket. “Will this do?” he asked. “Who’s is it?” asked the Man. “Mine.”, the Bucket Man smiled, and the Man took the jacket. He smiled back at the Bucket Man, and bent down and lay the jacket on the floor, and, to little dog’s surprise, she found herself wrapped in it. The Man had been so gentle that she hadn’t even opened her eyes. “Thank you. Do you have a nail clipper? It wouldn’t do for her to meet the kids like this.” asked the Man. “Sure thing.” said the Bucket Man. He walked away again, but, this time, he was grinning. “He’s really going to adopt her.” He shook his head a little. He didn’t want the Man to see the tears in his eyes. The Man took little dog out of the kennel and into a bright room. He placed her gently on the counter. He clipped her nails one at a time, but only a little. “Have to be careful. Not sure how far up the quick has grown” said the Man. The room was warmer than the kennel, and by the time the Man had finished, little dog was no longer shivering. “Up, girl”, he said. Little dog slowly stood on the counter. Her feet didn’t hurt! Well, maybe a little. Her nails scrabbled on the counter-top and she slipped, but the Man already had her in his arms, and he placed her on the floor. She put her head down and sat on her haunches. The Man bent down and petted her between the ears. “I bet that’s more comfortable”, he said. “Come on, girl”. The Man stood up, and so did little dog. He walked toward the desk on the other side of the room with the jacket in one hand, and the leash in the other. Little dog followed, the leash slack between them. He sat down, so she sat down. The Walking Girl passed the Man a clipboard, and he filled out several pages, while little dog sat beside him. Little dog thought of her as “The Walking Girl” because she saw her take one dog after another past little dog’s cage out into the yard to play. Little dog didn’t want to lie down on the floor. The Man noticed, and put the jacket beside her. She lay on it and put her nose between her paws, covering her eye with one to block the bright light. “Will you look at that!” said the Man. “That’s a smart dog. It is bright in here.” The Walking Girl came around the desk and knelt beside little dog. “Sorry you and I didn’t get to know each other, girl, but that’s okay – you’re going home. You’re going home, sweetie!” “All set?” asked the man. “All set.” answered the Walking Girl. “Wait! We were going to put her down – she still needs her rabies booster.” The Walking Girl trotted out of the room. When she came back, she had a white coat on, and rubber gloves. She quickly slid her hand under little dog’s back leg and… Ouch! Little dog jumped a bit, but the Man reached down and stroked her muzzle. It really only hurt a little, she thought. She looked up into the Man’s eyes. “I’m sorry, old girl…had to be done. Come on. There’s some folks I’d like you to meet.” He thanked the Walking Girl and the Bucket Man. “I’ll have your jacket cleaned and bring it back tomorrow.” the Man said. “Don’t worry about it. I have another.” said the Bucket Man, a little choked up. Little Dog walked out the door beside the Man…was this really happening? As the door closed behind the Man and little dog, the Bucket Man asked the Walking Girl “Who’d a thought it? I thought she was a goner for sure. Such a sweet disposition, but so undernourished. And the cancer, to boot. Whoever had her before can’t have cared for her very much. Who’d a thought?” He looked again, and the Walking Girl had a big smile on her face, but her mascara had run a bit. The Man led her to a large truck, and opened the passenger door. Little dog jumped up onto the floor of the truck. It smelled like coffee. “Whoa!” said the Man. “You’ve got more fight left in you than I thought.” He put the jacket on the seat, and led little dog up onto it by the collar. Little dog was afraid. She remembered she wasn’t supposed to sit on the furniture. “It’s okay, girl. You set right there…you’ll be fine. I’m a careful driver. Got five kids to watch out for.” said the Man. Little dog curled up on the jacket, and, as the man drove on, she fell asleep. “We’re here, old girl. All ashore that’s going ashore!” The Man got out and went around to little dog’s side of the truck. He opened the door, and little dog stepped down, first to the floor, and then to the ground. She sat on her haunches and looked up at the Man. “Can you guess which one?” he asked. Little Dog walked alongside the Man, her nails ticking on the sidewalk. She stepped daintily, because her toes still hurt a little bit. “You sure you’re not part fox, old girl?” asked the man. He led her up a few steps, and then up some more onto a porch. He unlocked the door, and they went inside. He carried the jacket. “Who’s this!” said the Woman, smiling. Her smile reminded little dog of her own mother’s smile…how strange. “Children, come see what your father’s brought home.” “I thought you said you were getting a puppy from the breeder” said the Woman to the Man. “I know”, said the Man, “but I was driving past the library, and the shelter is right behind it…” The children came bounding down the stairs – five of them! Three big girls, a young boy, and a skinny little girl who skipped rather than ran. They all crowded close to little dog…she cowered a bit. “Give her a little room – let her see you – let her smell you.” said the Man. “Then you can go to her one at a time.” He stood aside with the Woman. “She’s so thin.” said the Woman, with a worried look. “Not for long in this house!” the Man chuckled. “She has a lump on her belly…” frowned the woman. “I know – they were going to put her down.” explained the Man sheepishly. “Well, she does seem very well-behaved. Is the lump serious?” she asked. “I don’t know. I suppose we’ll find out. In the meantime, she needs a home.” he whispered, so the children wouldn’t hear. “We’ll have to fatten her up a bit.” “Who wants to take her upstairs for a bath?” said the Man. The middle daughter, Jamie, said “I will”. “Come on, Megan” she said to the little girl. Off they went. “Great – another girl”, said the Boy, joking. “Does she have a name yet?” “Not that I know of, Sean” said the Man. “You guys can name her, I guess” The oldest, Kate, said “Megan’s best friend that moved away last weekend was named Jenna, and so is my china doll…how about that?” “What do you think, Anne?” the Woman asked the next oldest. “Sounds okay, I guess.” Anne shrugged. Inside, she thought, “What a sweet dog…I’m glad we don’t have to housebreak a puppy.” “What are you doing with that old jacket?” asked the Woman. “It’s hers, I guess.” said the Man. “Well, let me at least wash it.” She took the jacket and headed to the laundry room. It was dark outside, and little dog lay on the jacket beside the fireplace. The Man had fallen asleep in his chair, and little dog lay at his feet. She stirred, and stood up. The Man opened his eyes, and watched as she headed up the stairs. He could hear her go slowly from room to room. She came back down and lay at his feet, again, and closed her eyes. “Counting noses, were ye?” said the Man. “Thanks for checkin’ for me. Good night, Jenna.” He stood, reached down, scratching her behind the years, and walked upstairs to bed, turning out the hall light. Little dog lay there a while with her eyes closed, listening to the fire. Her sides heaved, as gently with the drawing in of each breath. Little dog could smell the Man’s scent from where he had been sitting, and the Woman’s, on the jacket. She could still smell the Bucket Man’s scent, too, though only a little. A little stuffed tiger lay beside her – a gift from the middle girl. It smelled like all the children, for they had all played with her until time for bed. Little dog nudged it close to her chest with her snout, and touched her nose to it’s muzzle. “Counting noses.” she thought, as she fell asleep. Little dog was home. (copyright fjl 2006) REST in PEACE, Jenna the puppy girl. You are profoundly missed these last several years. I think of you every day.
Posted on: Sat, 30 Aug 2014 09:28:34 +0000
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