Tuesday, January 03, 2012

Kick Off the New Year!





Yesterday's winner of the $25 giftcard is Brandie!!! Brandie email me at Christie (at) christie(-)craig.com
Thank you everyone who posted and sent well wishes!!!


Contest: Today’s blog is part of Killer Fiction’s Kick Off the New Year’s contest. So make sure you leave a post.

Contest announcements: Winner of my last Blog Post: Theresa N. Theresa email me at Christie(at)christie-craig.com.

A Free, 500-Dollar Junkyard Dog:

A heartfelt tale of woe with a silver lining

It’s been a tough month at the Craig house. It’s hubby again. No, he didn’t set anything on fire this time; he got sick. Really sick. And you guys know that while I tell funny stories about him all the time, he’s my real-life hero. So when he got sick, and I’m talking driving him to the emergency room sick, I was really scared. And really pissed. Because hubby didn’t want to go to the emergency room. Can someone explain why it’s so hard for a man to admit he’s sick? Never mind that he couldn’t breathe. He insisted it was just something that would pass. As if breathing isn’t that important, right? Men!!!

Anyway, after I finally got him to the hospital, they kept him for a few days, did a bunch of tests, but couldn’t find the problem. And when the symptoms disappeared, they sent him home with no diagnosis.

Well, a week later, the symptoms returned and were even worse this time. That led to another trip to the ER and then, believe it or not, yet another one. Both times I had to fight him to go. The last time I told the hospital staff, “You’re keeping him until you know what’s wrong with him.” Hey, I wasn’t really pawning him off, I was that worried.

However, the threat of having to keep him (maybe they’ve read my blog) made them dig a little deeper. They found something. Not a good something, either. A sonogram showed his heart was enlarged. It could be blockage. Serious blockage. Or it could be a virus. They did a heart cath to find out what was happening. It was the virus, but as the doctor told us, this is the best diagnosis of the two. In more than 50% of these cases, with the right meds, the heart will repair itself within a year. There’s just one little issue. Because his heart is “virus-stricken” and weak, he has to wear what they call a . . . life vest.

They can call it what they want, but I call it a battery-operated bra. About time the man knows what I go through trying to support my girls. Anyway, this bra is equipped with sensors that monitor his heart, and it has a ready-to-fire-at-any-moment defibrillator. I tease him about it endlessly. “Be good to me, or I’ll take your battery out.” Hey…humor is how we deal with things, remember?

So…I’m sure you guys are wondering how the $500 dollar junkyard dog comes into this story, right? I’m getting there. But first comes a little more woe. Do you remember the blog post about my son’s dog, Rex? I had him neutered because he suddenly became aggressive? And that seemed to take away the aggression issue. At least we thought it did.

His aggressive behavior happened again, only worse this time. After almost a month of in-and-out hospital stays with hubby, I hadn’t been very social. My friend called. She knew I’d had a rough few weeks and also knew sometimes just sharing a cup of something warm over a conversation with a friend can help relieve the stress.

She comes over, we’re in the entryway, Rex greets her happily, tail’s wagging and all is right in the world. And then it happened. Neither of us saw it coming. For some unknown reason, Rex attacked. While she was at the emergency room getting stitches, hubby and I were at the vet saying good-bye to our pet. As difficult as it was, there really wasn’t any option. Even the vet had warned us when we had him neutered, that some dogs are just aggressive by nature. It could have been so much worse, the injury could have been life-threatening. It could have been a child.

While it was the right thing to do, it hurt like the devil. Even with his flaws and his baffling unprovoked aggression issues, he was loved and brought us lots of joy. We all cried. My friend felt terrible, my son vowed to never love another animal. And when we walked out of the vet’s office, Hubby’s eyes filled with emotion, and he made me promise him that we would never, ever get another dog. I was so concerned about this stress on his weakened heart, that at that moment, I would have promised him the world.

And I wouldn’t have gone back on that promise. At least I didn’t think I would.

The very next day, our hearts were heavy; my son and hubby went to a junkyard to look at an old car, a Falcon Ranchero, they wanted to restore. I got the call about an hour later.

“We bought the car,” Hubby said.

“Good,” I lied. I mean, they really don’t need another car to work on. Isn’t two fixer-uppers enough?

“There’s something else I want to bring home,” Hubby said.

“Not another car, baby. We don’t have enough room.”

“Not a car,” he told me. “A dog.”

“You’re joking, right.” Really, I thought he was joking.

“No,” he answered in his dead serious tone.

“Aren’t you at a junkyard?” I asked.

“Yeah,” he said.

The absurdity of this rolled over me like a dump truck. “You want to bring home a junkyard dog?”

“Yes.”

“No,” I counter, in my blunt voice.

“She’s a sweet junkyard dog,” he said.

Junkyard dog and sweet don’t belong in the same sentence. “No,” I repeated.

“She’s young.”

“No.”

“She’s pretty.”

“No.”

“She needs a home.” I could almost hear his heart breaking over the line and when I didn’t say anything, he added, “She needs someone to save her.”

Damn, that man always knows how to pull on my heartstrings, but a junkyard dog? Then it hit me. The man’s connected to a defibrillator. I can’t break his heart.

“Do you really want this dog?” I asked him.

“Yes,” he said.

“Is she housebroken?” I asked.

“I don’t think she’s ever been inside a house.”

“Does she have fleas and ticks?”

“Of course, she does. She’s a junkyard dog.”

“Are you really serious?” I asked.

“She’s free,” he said.

You do remember how cheap he is, right? I reminded him what they say about nothing being free. “She could cost as much as a couple of hundred dollars to take her to the vet.” I thought that would change his mind.

I was wrong, both about how much it would cost and about it changing his mind. So I threw in the towel. I mean, seriously, what were my choices? The man’s wearing a defibrillator.

A couple of hours later, son and hubby pulled up with this free junkyard dog. Of course, that was after they stopped at Whataburger and got three meal deals. One for the dog.

"You get to name her," hubby said. And believe me in this household that’s an honor. They never let me name an animal.

I petted her, cautiously. She accepted my hand guardedly. She’s covered in fleas and ticks. But he was right. She was sweet and soft as silk. And unlike any junkyard dog I’ve ever known, she’s completely meek and docile. I took one look at her and named her Lady.

Hubby and son bathed her and took her to the vet. An hour later, we had good news and bad news. She’s only seven to eight months old and doesn’t have mange or heartworms. That’s it for the good news. On the other hand, she was severely anemic, severely malnourished, has all sorts of worms, and had kennel cough.

And oh yeah, she’s no lady.

I don’t mean she’s a boy. I mean, she’d been playing with the boys. Yup, she was pregnant. However, the vet didn’t think she was healthy enough to carry the babies. As a matter of fact, the vet said she didn’t think she would have survived much longer. So after another few swipes of our American Express, we had ourselves a free, $500, spayed junkyard dog.

She’s adapting to her new lifestyle. At first, she ate food whole, chewing was optional—I mean what if someone decided to take it away from her? She now chews her food, enjoys her memory foam bed at night, and thinks sofas are much more comfortable that my hardwood floors. She much prefers gnawing on shoes or a pair of jeans to the sticks that she used to find outside. She finds it much more productive to steal the family pack of 96% ground round set out on the counter than to raid garbage-cans. (I still don’t know how she got on the counter, or how she ate all of it so quickly.) She decided the leftover grilled chicken on the table must have been hers. Why else would we have left it unattended for ONE minute? She’s certain that the cat food set out on the windowsill is hers, and not the kitties’. After one week, Lady has gained five pounds and hasn’t had one potty accident inside.

And the kitties? Well, she must have a little pointer dog in her, because she sees a feline, goes completely still, quietly raises and folds up one paw. Her tail goes straight and she stares at the varmint. When we don’t do anything, she then looks at us as if to say. “I found it, now you shoot it. Hey, I did my job. You do yours.” Yeah, she’s still adapting, with a few scratches on her nose, to living with the felines. Lady has gained five pounds and hasn’t had one potty accident inside.

But as she hangs out at her bra-wearing rescuer’s side, keeping him company, helping him as he hopefully makes a full recovery, I have to admit, she’s the best five-hundred dollars my hubby has ever spent. She needed us; but in truth, we needed her, too.

So what about you guys? Have you ever taken in a stray? Today, as part of the New Year’s contest, I’m giving away a $25 card to either Barnes and Noble or Amazon-the winner’s choice. So make sure you leave a comment. And remember, Jan. 15th, we’re giving away either a Kindle or a Nook. So make sure you come back every day and leave comments. Also, check out the sidebar to see how you can get even more chances to enter.

55 comments:

Unknown said...

Great post Christie, love your new dog so pretty. I love the fact that she is a five hundred dollar free dog. We had a dump dog when we where growing up. My brother went to the local trash dump when we were young and found this little puppy, he looked to be a collie sheppard mix. We named him Mutt. Oh Mutt gave us many years of joy but he was never in the house. My mother didn't let us have a house dog so he stayed outside. I can't remember how old Mutt was when he passed away but he was the best dog we ever had. You have a junk yard dog and we had a trash dump dog.

Unknown said...

Great post Christie, love your new dog so pretty. I love the fact that she is a five hundred dollar free dog. We had a dump dog when we where growing up. My brother went to the local trash dump when we were young and found this little puppy, he looked to be a collie sheppard mix. We named him Mutt. Oh Mutt gave us many years of joy but he was never in the house. My mother didn't let us have a house dog so he stayed outside. I can't remember how old Mutt was when he passed away but he was the best dog we ever had. You have a junk yard dog and we had a trash dump dog.

Bessamy said...

What a pretty junk yard doggie! I couldnt of turned her away either. Sometimes it is just meant to be. Dogs are such a great comfort. Maybe she will learn more tricks! Let us know!

I so know the feeling of rushing the 'it isn't so bad that I have to go to the ER' man to the ER. Geeze, we went at the beginning of Dec. He was hooked up to heart monitors for two days. We were lucky it turned out to be gastric. Still, it was the fastest trip there I ever drove.

krisgils33 said...

What a great story! The dog is adorable. I hope your hubby is doing better. We had a cat adopt us a few years back while living in Miami. He weighed about 3 pounds fully grown and loved our dog. Now, he weighs 19 pounds and hates our dog. He loves the bed and the couches, though!!!! He has truly adapted to his new life of style!

petite said...

What a wonderful story. I am glad that your husband will recover fully and be back to normal health soon.Women can sense when something is definitely wrong. The dog sounds like a sweetheart. We did rescue a lovely dog who is still with us. Bogie is a small, energetic bundle of love who is our sage and a part of the family.

traveler said...

This story was so special. I am glad that you persisted with your husband's health problem. What a right decision that was. I know that your dog will give you years of fun and joy. Dogs are so human. We had a farm dog who lived 18 years and was exceptional. Sensitive and intelligent but also extremely loving towards children and old people. We brought her to the seniors home where they loved her.

Zita said...

We took in a stray cat. Sadie, we named her. And yes, she too was pregnant. After delivering 4 kittens we found homes for two and my niece kept two. We got them all fixed and now Sadie is 7000 lbs. Well, almost. She's probably only 6,890 lbs, but she feels like 7,000 when you pick her up. But she is happy and healthy and off the street, and we love her. She recently moved to Ontario to live with my nephew and his new bride and is enjoying her stress-free life. Stress-free because she no longer has to deal with her bratty children. Oh, the drama we put up with when they all lived together. Susan Lucci had nothing on Sadie. :-)

CrystalGB said...

What a cute dog. We took in a stray cat that someone dropped off at our house. He was tiny, malnourished and had a gazillion fleas when we got him. After lots of care, he was fat, sassy and so loveable.

Donna Marie Rogers said...

Christie, you're the only person who can make me laugh and cry at the same time. Lady is beautiful, and what a wonderful story...though I'm so sorry about the dog you had to put down.

I know that with your love and support, and with the new 'Lady' in his life, your husband will make a full recovery. :-)

As an adult, there hasn't been any strays to take in (we just got our first dog last year...and boy, is she a handful). But as a kid...holy cow, I'd need all my fingers and toes to count how many strays I talked my mom into keeping...LOL

Rebekah E. said...

What an adorable dog. We tend to adopt most of our animals. It is amazing how some of the most wonderful animals are given up and unwanted.

Unknown said...

Lady is a cute dog. We have taken in strays before. We adopted one dog from the pound. We have stray cats come to our house all the time. I think someone keeps dropping them off here. At one point, we had 15 wild cats in our backyard, that would run anytime they saw someone. My sister was walking one day and someone was getting ready to drop off a cat where she was walking. She brought it home with her. Right now, I have a black poodle named Bear. He is a sweetheart. He's very protective and he loves the cats that we have. He always sats at my feet. We also have a cat named Kitty Perry. My niece named him. She thought at first he was a she. lol I'm glad your husband is ok and will get better in a year. Who would ever have thought that a virus could do that.

Shana said...

Great post, Christie. I have tears in my eyes. Hugs to your husband and to you. Hug that junkyard do too!

Ruth said...

Hi Christie,
Funny you should ask about taking in strays. While my children usually claim that honor, and one was involved in the most recent guest at our house, we were adopted by a young female two days before Christmas. I had just returned from the grocery store and she wandered up to the car- loaded with ham and turkey, etc. Did she rush us, no; she bent down to the ground, let her ears lay back, bent her head down in a pleading manner and crawled toward my daughter, granddaughter and myself. Well, it was raining, and cold, she looked like she was starving so I told my granddaughter to go get some of the dog food and feed her. Then my son-in-law found an extra kennel, put a rug in it and covered it so she could sleep comfortably and stay dry. She's being called everything from Sweetie, to Lady to the front porch dog. Oh, did I forget to mention she stands at the front door and cries. She's very good with the kids and sits on command. So we're going to help her find a new home- I don't think I can handle more than the 3 Chihuahuas, 3 cats (all inside) and the colony of feral cats that hang out in our back yard.
Hope the Hubby is better. They say that animals can be the best medicine.

Erin T said...

Heart problems can be so scary. I had a baby girl last year and a few days ater coming home from the hospital I was just not feeling right. I had a hard time breathing and passed out in my kitchen. My 9 yr old foud me and called 911. She saved my life.It turned out I was in Congestive Heart Failure. I am only 32 years old. And now I have CHF for the rest of my life. I also have a damaged heart valve and have to have it replaced later this month.

The dog story is priceless. Unfortunately my daughter is allergic to most animals so we cannot get an animal.

Hope your hubby is on the mend.

Mo said...

Wow, your holidays were filled with ups and downs. Good for you for pushing the doctors about your husband’s health. Someone has to take care of doctor adverse men. My husband had a stroke for his 40th birthday and that was not a fun drive to the ER. Luckily it was only a TIA and all is well.

We never kept pets when I was growing up though we had too many to count. We lived in the rural outskirts of town and heartless people were always dumping unwanted pets near our house. We’d take them in, clean them up, and then find them a home where they would be wanted and loved. Lady looks lovely and very happy with her new family.

Kima said...

Your life makes me think of the Chinese curse, "May you life an interesting life." Each time I read your blog, there is always something else going on!

I am so sorry about your hubby and Rex. It's one thing to have to say goodbye to an animal friend when they are suffering, but quite another when you have to make a choice between your animal or your family. All of my animals were strays, although technically my dog was a pound puppy. My two cats took up residence on my friends' porches and needed to be rescued so they came to my house where they now rule the roost. Hope everything gets better soon.

Diana Orgain said...

Cute little dog! Yes, I've been known to take in a stray kitten or two. I would love to have a pet now (dog or cat) but I want to wait for my littlest guy to get a bit older.

Brandie said...

This is probably the best blog I've read in a long time! I'm sitting here laughing at my computer.

My daughter is the one who pick up strays. Last year, the day before Christmas Eve, my daughter brought home a dog. It had a collar, but no phone number. It was a sweet dog... who cried all night long, then had the nerve to sleep all day. We didn't find his owners until after Christmas... I think they needed a good night sleep ;-) LOL!

Sarah S. said...

The best dog's we ever had growing up were dumped in our front yard. A yellow lab we inexplicably named Nuppers and a Golden Retriever we named Clovis. The names...who knows. The pet's were priceless. Becuase of that I will not pay a puppy mill for an animal. I will always go to the pound! There are so many deserving animals there. :)

Christie Craig said...

Hey guys!

Thanks so much for the posts and for sharing your stories. And thanks for the well wishes for hubby.

He's doing okay. And Lady is really doing her job of loving him. I think she's going to be a daddy's girl. She loves me and my son, but she lights up when Hubby walks into a room. Sometimes I think she knows he was the one who really saved her.

And here's hoping that everyone has a wonderful New Year. Here's to a year of good health, friendships, and lots of laughter.

CC

Meb Bryant said...

As usual, I enjoyed your post, Christie. I could have told you that your husband has a big heart and you could have saved the hospital visits. As for the bra...well, it kinda turns me on. (Leave his batteries alone.)

Snoopy, a beagle, was dumped out at our front door. The kids jumped up and down begging to keep him. I knew my husband did not want to deal with an animal so I firmly stood my ground and said, "No!"

When the kids cried, my husband looked at their faces and pleads, "Please, can we keep him?" Snoopy was the best dog who ever owned us.

Anonymous said...

Even though I had heard this story, you still managed to bring a tear to my eyes. Dang it! How do you keep doing that? LOL!

I swear our stars are aligned in some weird way. I recently took in a stray wandering the streets. Appropriately enough, her name is Gypsy. Beautiful German Shepherd / greyhound mix. Our free dog has cost us $400 and counting. She, too, is very well mannered, but still learning the household rules. :-)

Glad to hear Hubby is fine and happy.

Jenn!

Anonymous said...

Love your blog. SOOOOOOOO glad they made a diagnosis on your sweet hubby. Better to know than always wondering and waiting for it to happen again. Sending loving hugs your way, it's so difficult when a loved one is sick.
Your doggie issues are also close to home for me. We had to put my beloved Holly down after 15 years and it all but broke my heart in two. I know how hurt you were, but God works in mysterious ways and you were meant to meet your new puppy!

Loretta Wheeler said...

All I've ever owned are strays. Sigh. I've always wanted a purebred, but along comes a fur person who needs me, and so a weird form of natural selection occurs:) Everytime:)
I can't complain though, I've loved them all, and found each one added something special to my life:)
As for the hubby, we'll collaborate and write a book sometime:) Mine won't go to the Dr. until there's only one body part still functioning...depending on the malady, the body parts change. It's drama in the highest form:)
BTW,just thought I'd share ...I was nicknamed Junkyard Dog in one of my lifetimes:)(My liftime's change, seems my life comes in stages-- for the life of me, I can't figure out what "passage" I'm in at the moment, but I'm sure it'll wear its own nickname before long:)
Lo

Terri Osburn said...

This blog worried me, broke my heart, and then patched it up all at the same time. I hope hubby is feeling better and on his way to a full recovery. Very sorry about they guy you had to put down, but Lady really is pretty. I'm sure she'll find her way into a book in no time. :)

Alison said...

Great post Christie! Your new pup is such a cutie! I'm sorry to hear about Rex, its never easy to lose a pet no matter the reason. I'm happy your hubby is feeling better too, even if he does have to wear a torturous bra :)

Happy New Year!

Glittergirl said...

I just stumbled onto your site from "As the Pages Turn" and fell in love with your storytelling. I've got to find your books! YES we've had strays-all of our pets are rescues. My daughter is an "animal whisperer" and the come to her in droves. We've rescued: cats, dogs, rabbits (had a wild one who adopted us), mouse (rescued as a snake meal from her middle school science lab), rats, turtles...I could go on and on. My favorites was "Buddy" our creamcicle orange cat who lived his last years at our "resort" after being chewed up and left for dead along a country road. My son and I cried when he passed.

Johanna R Jochum said...

Our cat showed up on the front porch about 8 years ago. He did not leave so we gave him food. He has been with us ever since. He was healthy but had a crooked tail. Not sure where he came from. We named him blackie cause he is black and were not creative! LOL! Thanks for sharing with us today!

evjochum[AT]aol[DOT]com

Nancy Kay Bowden said...

Hi, Christie! What a lovely post. You had me at rescue dog. (Well, I think those words were somewhere in there.) As someone who was attacked by a dog as child, I say thank you. As the mama of a dog we had to put down, I know how you and your boys felt. (No more dogs!) As the proud mama of two pups rescued within the last two years, I say YAY! I salute you!

I hope Steve is feeling much better.

Hugs,
Nancy

Anna Kathryn Lanier said...

What a sweet story. Yes, we've taken in several stays. One was Shamrock, a mixed breed dog we brought home on March 17th, thus his name. We've also taken in several stray cats. Juliet was about 4 months old and living under our neighbors deck. We got her in 2001 and had to put her down last year because she had a massive tumor. We've had three other cats take up residence in our garage the last few years. And we've named them all. We're down to only one of the strays now (he hangs out with Leo, our male 12 year old cat). Leo tolerates the new arrivals pretty well. I won't get into the possums, raccoon and neighborhood cats that also stop by from time to time to check out the cat food.

I hope DH heart recovers fully and quickly.

Na said...

I sure hope this month looks up for you! Dogs are so cute and as much as I want to take one in, I will wait until I am financially ready and able to provide the time and care for one. They are the cutest things! I haven't taken in any strays but have had the pleasurane of watching out for my neighbor's pets who like to visit.

Cambonified{at}yahoo{dot}com

catslady said...

Oh what a touching post! Does hubby know he can get away with anything right now lol. Hope he's well soon.

As to strays I could go on forever. I will try to make it short(ish)lol. About 17 yrs. ago a mama cat showed up on my back porch with 3 kittens and were eating bread and popcorn that I put out for the birds. We took in one kitten (had her until last year at 16), one disappeared and I had the other kitten outside for 16 yrs. The next yr. she just had one kitten so I figured I could deal with that. The next year 11 kittens were born to the mama and the one that stayed outside. After that I had them fixed but they must pass the word along because another mama showed up too. I have found homes for many, feed and care for them and stray toms. My biggest rescue was when the mother cat and one of her kittens were covered in motor oil. The mother had other kittens so she left this one at my backdoor. I never knew anything so little could make so much noise. I nursed him with a babydoll bottle and he was my favorite cat for 13 too short years. I've had up to 7 at one time and 5 outside ones too. I am now down to just 3 inside and 3 outside. They have all touched my heart. (we've also had two wonderful dogs that were rescues too).

Brandy said...

I had to laugh at your question, "Have you ever taken in a stray?". Hahahaha! We have more cats than I want to admit to without being called nuts right now because I feed the strays in the neighborhood and for the past three years have rescued the kittens the females have delivered. Most we took to the Humane Society. But, Pepper (who is now two) has eye site issues and such an adorable face (maybe because her stare is blank yet wise at the same time) that we couldn't part with her. Wicket is another, she was too tiny and ended up having some kind of intestinal parasite with a 20% survival rate. She's now a year old and while still small and sleek is a champion purr-er. Then there are the boys, Teddy and Einstein. Their mom decided our neighbors car engine was the perfect place for them and he discovered them when he picked his Daughter up from work that night. I don't want to think of what could have happened. It makes me shudder. We told ourselves we were only fostering the boys and I even contacted several rescue organizations. But, they didn't want them or have room for them. Our humane society no longer takes strays (and they were three weeks old at the time). So, while we have asked everyone we know, we can't find them homes. I guess they fit in here just fine. Of course this all started ten years ago when my Mom brought me a week old kitten that had been abandoned in a parking lot and she and I nursed and nurtured her. She is now a very fluffy (hehehe) ten year old siamese with gorgeous blue eyes and my best buddy. So, maybe there was a little hysteria in my laughter at your question. :) (Oh and as for the strays I feed? They'll be captured, gently, this Spring and spayed/neutered.)

I hope your husband heals and is better than ever. Lady is absolutely gorgeous. Congratulations on your new family member. *g*

Sandy said...

Great post, CC. I'm so glad you were so determined that the doctor's find out what was wrong with your hubby.

Yes, we took in a stray once. A little black cat chose my hubby for his owner one very icy cold February. Maxie turned out to be so smart, and he treated hubby like a big cat (in other words the boss)and hubby said he had to be more dog than cat because he was a fast learner. After a while, dh decided cats were smarter than dogs. Smile.

slperson said...

You had me laughing and crying with this post - you have ALOT going on! Love the new "free" dog. She'll be a great addition to your family!

chey said...

Great post! I've never taken in a stray.

Jane said...

I have never taken in a stray, but I do admire those that open their homes to those in need.

Susan M said...

What a sweet dog story? And so happy your hubby is better? Jeez, 35 comments and not one person asked how I was doing. Who knew blood spurting out of my hand all over your nice clean kitchen could be so funny? But you didn't worry about Steve for a few minutes there, did you? I plan to make good friends with Lady before she finishes growing.

Anonymous said...

I haven't taken in a stray since childhood. I grew up in rural Oklahoma so sometimes the strays were really wild. I loved the story about Lady. She is so cute! I'm so glad you were able to save her.

geishasmom73 AT yahoo DOT com

G Cochrane said...

Very stressful but good story. Sounds like Lady is just the dog you needed to come into your life. A fur angel.

All our pets have been in need of a home, and our current one is a pound dog of mixed origin with a neck like a giraffe. She steals anything she can reach off the counter as well, but she is my own fur angel and helps keep me mellow, and makes sure I take a walk every day.

Barbara E. said...

I loved the story and I hope you hubby gets the life vest off soon. I took in a kitty that wasn't exactly a stray, she was the result of my boyfriend's brother bringing home a couple of kittens and never having them neutered or spayed. After their kittens had kittens, I saw this little tortoiseshell kitty hiding in the bushes and decided I had to take her home. The boyfriend's mother had her spayed and given shots and I had myself a new kitty. I had her for 15 years until she died.

Cheryl said...

What a moving post. You brought tears to my eyes. Unfortunately, I cannot have dogs or cats due to my daughter's allergies and asthma. Luckily she can handle short amounts of exposure to them as my parents an other family members we visit have dogs an cats.

Kristi said...

How did you make me laugh and cry in the same blog?! Thank you for saving Lady, and I'm so sorry about your other baby.

I hope your hubby is okay too. I can just picture you threatening to take his battery out. That's how I am with my husband too.

I have taken in strays before and if I had my way we would take in many, many more.

Unknown said...

You know I came for the contest.. but that was just such a beautiful story.. I am sorry about hubby but you are lucky he is there.. adapting and in the end you get a healthy hubby (I am praying and prayers have power) AND a man who understands the agonies of wearing a bra..

Lady sounds wonderful.. reminds me of our old dog peaches.. 110lb lap dog.. yeah she was a chicken.. everytime it stormed she tried to crawl on to my lap..

Raonaid Luckwell said...

Aww! Cute doggie. Hubby found a chihuaha/pomerian mix pup abandoned at his work's parking lot. He brought her home, intending to give to his momma. Kids and us vetoed it because his mother never keeps dogs past their one year old birthday. We did learn where the pup came from, how she was to be found in the parking lot. Coworker bought the pup from another co-worker then changed his mind. Let's just say that the man was furious what happened to the pup but since we bought two dachies from him in the past, he knew she'd be well taken care of. So we got a fifty dollared pup for nothing.

Jan Crow said...

Lady's gorgeous, Christie. And what a great home for her. I adopted two abandoned ferrel cats. For the first year hardly anyone saw them. Only me. I had people come to feed them when I was gone and they swore there were no cats. However, now, 6 years later they will come out for a few seconds and a select few friends can even talk to them. Adopting needy animals is such a wonderful way to show love.

Jan

Jess said...

My husband and I adopted our first kitten from our local animal shelter. We rescued our second kitty from a kitten rescue group. She is the sweetest cat in the world. She loves to give kisses and really loves to snuggle close on the bed.

Thanks for the giveaway!

jcross719 at yahoo dot com

Refhater said...

So glad to hear that your hubby is doing better. Things like that can be really scary. Lady is such a lucky puppy too!

We've never taken in animal stray's due to severe allergies. But, we have picked up a few of the human kind. We've been a foster family for years. Most of the kids came to us as teens.(We even bailed one out of jail once.)

Jana DeLeon said...

Love it, Christie! And she's so cute. :) Of course, that's how I ended up with three dogs and three cats....

Man Candy Fans said...

Christie,

You have had a difficult month, but you sure made me laugh with your story of the junkyard dog. Lots of hugs coming your way.

Vicky Dreiling (since my Google account identifies me as #mancandaymonday LOL!)

blackroze37 AT yahoo.com said...

i understand about not wanting to get annother one. i had 1 from i was 8 till i was 20 and i cried for days and made me then boyfriend bury him on his land, so we would know where he was to visit

Colleen Thompson said...

I hope your dh recovers soon and fully. As for your $500 junkyard dog, she's gorgeous... And she reminds me of that time after my dad was diagnosed with an aggressive late stage cancer and told to go home and get his affairs in order. Instead he adopted two beagle puppies and raised and loved and has outlived both of them.

Maybe Lady was put in his path for a reason.

Hang in there, and I'm so sorry about the dog you lost. That's such a hard thing.

Stacey Joy Netzel said...

Saying prayers for Hubby, Christie and bless him and you for rescuing Lady! Happy New Year!

rbsweet said...

WOW! Amazing...here's hoping 2012 continues to improve.

Anonymous said...

I feel so normal now! And slightly weepy... we've always adopted from the local shelters and cat rescue groups. At the start of the summer, we had 2 indoor, 1 indoor/outdoor, and 1 I'll-hide-outdoors-if-you-even-look-at-me kitty. All fabulous in their own way. Then, the neighbors down the street offered my kids kittens and we couldn't afford a "free" cat (I called the vet and about passed out at the cost of a spay and shots), so back we went to the SPCA! New kitty came home with us (little orange and red tabby like an inside-out giraffe with an enormous appetite and a purr to match), and then... three days later... the neighbors kicked momma cat out of their house. Now, she's our bonus kitty and lives on our front porch. We've made her a little house with a heating pad and she talks non-stop on the porch.