Oops! We
(almost)
Did It Again!
What I had been planning on yesterday, after an early shift at work, was to pass my free afternoon by doing laundry, catching up on the doings here and elsewhere on the 'net, and generally relaxing. It didn't happen.
Der Brucer had recieved a call: there was another puppy that needed rescuing, another black Lab mix that had been dropped off at some dump and needed caring for until a good home could be found. So we loaded Angie into the car, and off through Sussex County we drove.
The little girl, maybe six weeks old, was being cared for by a family living in a trailer. Our first intent was to get pictures of Black Betty, as they had dubbed her, for posting on the 'net. Der B got a few good pics, including a couple of me holding her. Then Mister Great Ideas (not me, the photographer) suggests that we take her with us. "The Humane Society of Delaware is holding a Dog Walk on the Boardwalk this Saturday. We can show her off there, and hopefull find a good home for her."
Well, the man of the family conferred with his mom, and they agreed that this was a good idea. They handed us some of the toys that Betty liked to play with (including a frog that played "Easter Parade" when squeezed), and we took Angie and Betty back to our car.
As usual, when traveling with a dog new to the car, I sat in back, just in case Betty needed comforting. Betty had other ideas. She somehow managed to use Angie as a stepladder, and climbed up onto the ledge under the rear window, where she was very happy to ride!
Instead of our going directly home, Der Brucer decided to first drive us to the home of Diane, one of the women with Sussex County Animal Rescue, for a brief conference. Then we went to the Wash-N-Wag, where Betty got her nails clipped and ears cleaned. (The women there also did the same for Angie, who is growing like a weed.) Finally, we headed for home.
Talk about everyone paying attention! Normally, when I get in the door, everyone wants their doggy biscuits. Not this time! Everyone wanted to meet the new puppy, instead! Fletcher instantly went into DaddyDog mode. Interestlingly, so did Marty, and he's usually stand-offish. The others were also curious about this newcomer. And Betty held her own with all of them, giving little barks and licking noses.
The bad news was, there was a phone call from the fellow who had handed Betty over to us. His wife had returned home from work, and was heartbroken to learn that Betty was gone. His mother, realizing how much daughter-in-law loved the pup, had then agreed to letting the couple keep the dog. Could we bring her back?
We got back in the car.
Betty will be in good hands. The husband may not be "the sharpest crayon in the box," as der B phrased it, but he didn't strike me as an uncaring sort. They have two adult dogs already, a Bloodhound and a Golden Retriever, who looked well cared for, and the yard is well fenced.
After we left, der B drove us to see Janet, the woman who had connected us with Angie in the first place. She was thrilled to see Angie again, a true animal lover, and agreed with der B that we should take Buddy, a full-grown (but still young) black Lab that she's fostering, with us on the Dog Walk. Buddy and Angie got along just fine.
And so the sun set on my afternoon off. I didn't get any laundry done. We didn't add a seventh dog to the household.
Not the greatest ending to a story, I suppose, but satisfying all the same.
