She ate alone When you participate in rescue you know that the most urgent calls come in when the weather, well, sucks. Blizzards tend to bring out the most empathy from people and that is when we frequently have the stray dog calls. This was no exception when the first bad snowfall came here in Williamstown. The call came from a concerned woman whos father plows driveways. He noticed a brown medium sized dog laying in a snow bank off to the side of the driveway. He said it looked like it was sleeping and he had gone door to door to check if anyone owned it. No one did. Immediately we went out and quickly were able to locate the dog. It didnt look like it was sleeping... it looked like it was dead. A beautiful golden retriever curled up in a ball. Not moving. I called to it, whistled, clapped my hands. No movement, not even a flick of its ear. Defeated and sad I unloaded a large sleeping bag, put on thick gloves and headed through the deep snow to the dog. I imagined a sad family hearing the news that their older golden had died. A loved family pet. As I got closer I noticed a twitch. The goldens head moved ever so slightly. I moved quicker. IT WAS ALIVE. When I got to the dog I discovered it was a she. She was stiff and sore. It took some work to get her on her feet. Once up I was able to slip a leash around her and help her out of the deep snow to the driveway. She was wet and shaking. I lifted her into the car and covered her up with the sleeping bag. I turned the heat up high. My visions of a sad family turned quickly to an amazing reunion. Knowing that someone must be looking for this dog. As the day went on the golden girl warmed up. We went to the vet. Discovered fleas and some hair loss. Estimated her age at 7 or 8 years. She was a good weight. We called her Elsa after the character from Frozen, which my young nieces thought fit her well. Elsa was hypothermic. But she was healthy and strong and she recovered well. The truth of the matter though was that no one was looking for this dog. She has surpassed the 10 day stray hold. Many people are interested in adopting her, but no one reported her missing. How could that be? For the first week after arrival Elsa stayed in the laundry room. She wasnt brave enough to venture out. Wouldnt eat her meals unless they were lathered in wet dog food and I had to hold the bowl right up to her mouth. Week two Elsa barked and actually walked through the dog door outside by herself. She sought comfort from some of the other dogs, choosing to lay beside them. Week three she climbed the stairs to see what we did up there. Watched wide eyed as my kids raced around the playroom relieved she was safely behind a baby gate. This week is about a month that Elsa has been here. Tonight for the first time she ate her dinner without wet food and on the floor like everyone else. It is quite a milestone for this golden girl. Her confidence has improved and she has shown us that she has some sass to her. She shows us her likes and dislikes. Loves me (Sam), cats, and our Bernese Mountain Dog, Fred. She dislikes my kids, strange men, and any loud noises. Elsa was someones dog. We havent figured out yet why no one has looked for her and what her story is. All we know is that she has come a long way in one month and has learned to trust us. We will find her a home where she will be spoiled and loved. This golden girl will have her second chance. We promise.
Posted on: Mon, 05 Jan 2015 04:38:09 +0000
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