Variety is the Spice of Life

Lately, I've been volunteering at the animal shelter on Monday and Friday mornings. My schedule is really tight, but I tell myself that I can give up a few hours a week. Sometimes, it can be difficult to get there, but the variety of dogs I'm exposed to at the shelter keeps me going. No surprise, this tiny chi was adopted right away. Good thing because I was tempted to take this little flower bud home myself!

Juju is a 10-year old pug. Lucky that I don't know who her previous owner was because I wouldn't have been nice to him/her. Juju is about twice the size she should be, and her nails were so long that she had to walk on the sides of her paws. I'd like to meet Juju's previous owner alright--in the back of a dark alley! But a dog park friend of mine, already a pug owner, has taken Juju home as a foster--thank goodness for kind people like her! Juju has been bathed, her skin folds have been swabbed out, and her nails have been clipped. Going forward, she'll get the daily exercise she so badly needs and hopefully get down to a healthy weight.

The area around the shelter is very industrial and run down, not the prettiest scenery. But I've come to appreciate these big cement blockades--they make a great leash walking practice course. I like weaving back and forth through them, changing directions unexpectedly to keep the dogs' attention on me. Pictured is Bo, a 9-year old Gordon setter who is recovering from Lyme disease.

I'm always surprised by how scared dogs are of this car wash balloon guy. Big, tough pitbull Major was completely freaked out by the blowing advertisement. I could not get him to walk past it, so we ended up having to cross the street to get around it. Makes me realize how important guide dog puppy training was--I know Cabana could walk by it without a flinch.

This is 12-year old Chili. He walks on 3 legs but gets around well in spite of his handicap. The shelter is paying for surgery to correct his hind leg, and he'll need a 6-week recovery foster. I think it's awesome that they are willing to spend the money on a senior dog like Chili. He deserves to live the rest of his life in comfort and good health. Yep, volunteering is definitely worth any time I can give.

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Unwanted Male Suitor

At SB Lake where Cabana and I like to walk, there are baby ducks and baby swans. So cute! These photos are not very good. Next time we go there, I may lug my big camera with me, instead of the little cheapomatic one I used for these shots.

Another time I wished for my camera was yesterday morning, when I decided to take Cabana for a quick walk before taking my older daughter to school. About half a mile from our house, we came across a little chihuahua-like dog. He had no leash, no collar, and no human. He skittered across the street to us and sniffed at Cabana. He repeatedly and nervously came up to us and then would dash back into the street. He obviously had no concept about getting hit by a car. Unfortunately, the place where we saw him is a thoroughfare for 3 neighborhood schools, and I knew that in the next hour, there would be lots of harried moms and dads driving by. It seemed only a matter of time before this little dog became road pizza.

I was in a quandary about what to do! I tried to pet him, but he would not allow me to get close enough. He wasn't at all afraid of Cabana and seemed to have taken a fancy to her, proceeding to get frisky on her hindquarters. (This dog was so tiny, though, he wasn't anywhere within reach.) I saw a woman standing in front of her house nearby, so I asked if she might have an extra leash or piece of rope, so I could try to bring the dog to a shelter, and hopefully, the owners (if there are owners) would be able to find him. She said she'd seen that dog for several days now, but she hadn't been successful in catching him either. She brought me a leash and some treats--but he was so fast and skittish, and he wasn't interested in the treats at all. He was, however, still VERY interested in Cabana.

Finally, so much time had elapsed, and I was going to be late getting home to drive my daughter to school. So I told the other woman I had to give up, and Cabana and I started to walk back home.

Well, that little stalker followed us all the way home, sniffing Cabana's behind the whole way. This made it very difficult for Cabana, Miss Dog Distracted herself, to walk. She kept turning around, no matter how much I tried to keep us going forward. In frustration, she kept biting on her leash (but she never tried to jump up or bite me--a great sign that her "episodes" are a thing of the past). I tried shooing the little dog away, but he was doggedly determined to follow us. In desperation, I picked Cabana up and tried to gain some distance that way. But at 44 pounds, I couldn't carry her for long.

At my wits end, I realized I needed to calm down. And sure enough, Cabana sensed my energy, and she calmed down, too. She stopped turning around, and we were able to make it back home.

Once there, the chihuahua followed us into the garage, peed on a bag of books I had sitting there, and then scampered back out to the street again. I didn't want my daughter to be late for school, so I put Cabana in the car, and we dashed off to school. After I dropped my daughter off, I came back and canvassed the neighborhood, looking for the stray--but he was nowhere to be found.

I hope that little bugger is okay. He was a cutie--I wish I had had my camera with me to get a picture of him. But oh well. Maybe the next time I walk in that direction, I'll bring my camera, and a spare leash, just in case.

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