Killer Robot Clan

When we came out here we set a goal of owning  three dogs, one to warm each bed in the house. We owned Chance when we arrived, and adopted Lucky shortly thereafter.

Lucky was…how to put it nicely…a dumb old hound dog. We loved him, but you had to accept him as he was. He was with us for about four months and had finally settled in when the call of the wild hit him and he took off wandering. Despite lots of rides down country backroads and lost dog poster we never saw him again. I hope he is in someone’s hunting kennel somewhere.

We waited about six months before adopting Oscar from a single wide trailer with a “Free Puppies” sign out front. He is a red-ticked coonhound – loud and stubborn. He was seven weeks old when we brought him home and he has been a handful. At this point he knows all of his obedience commands and doesn’t howl and bark all day. When he mellows out around two years of age he is going to be an awesome dog.

We weren’t ready for our third dog when Mescado came around, but we didn’t want to pass up the opportunity. So we shuffled things around and made room, literally and figuratively.

I gave Chance to Gavyn, who is finally ready for a dog of his own but needs one that is gentle and well-behaved. I gave Oscar to Matthew, who wants to learn how to train dogs, needs a rambunctious strong dog to wrestle and run in the woods with, and needs an animal that is going to make him miserable when he doesn’t fulfill his responsibilities. Both dogs fit the bill perfectly, and the kids are very happy.

Mescado was with us in our room, but that was very short lived. When he went home we realized that there was an empty spot in the house. Shortly thereafter a woman began posting on craigslist about a high kill rate shelter about an hour from here. The dogs only have a week of adoption availability before they are euthanized. Luckily the shelter has great volunteers that keep the petfinder page updated on an almost daily basis, and work hard to get dogs resued or adopted.

I looked at the petfinder page earlier this week and mentioned it to Andrew. We were both casually interested. As the week went by all of the dogs were getting adopted except for one. She was listed as an Italian Greyhound/Plott Hound Mix. She was starved and emaciated, all skin and bones, and obviously terrified. Friday morning I checked and she was still there, unadopted.

We finally decided that if we could get everything else done in time on Friday, we would try to get up there before the euthanasia deadline. We decided to get her out of there even if she wasn’t going to be our forever dog. It was a tight squeeze, Friday was a really busy day, but we got there shortly before closing time.

She was as bad off as the pictures conveyed, and filthy beyond belief. She alternated between cowering and timidly licking us. I had to carry her to the car, as it appeared that she had never been on a leash before, and would only crawl on her belly.

She has come a long way in just one day. She likes Chance, thier gentle natures complement each other nicely. She made it through her bath, though at one point she literally did a headstand. She is starting to stand up and move around, and is very cuddly. She has had two good meals and a chewie so far.  We are quickly becoming very attached to her and I think she is a keeper.

For now we are putting up the “No Vacancy” sign. We’re going to pick up a collar and lead for her from PetSmart while we are out today. Now we need air filters and a steam cleaner to keep this place from smelling like a zoo!

PS I am waiting until she stops cowering to take pics. Also, she is brindle, which doesn’t photograph well.