Toby was the best stray
we had. She was a japanese spitz and was very loyal to my dad. She went everywhere with him. He found her trying to stop vehicles on Halloween Night outside his convenience store. She had been left behind and wanted to find the right car. After the second night of her hanging around trying to jump into people's cars, Dad brought her home. He needed company as Mom had recently kicked him out and Toby was just the trick. She stayed with him a good 14
years and then as my ever loving step mom said "committed puppy suicide". She never went in the road, EVER, and one day it was just her time. She was old and sick and dying and Dad couldn't put a dog down so she helped him again in her own way. She was the ultimate loyal best dog ever to my dad.
Other strays that have come to stay are Sassy and Ted. I stopped to feed Toby while the parents were out of town one day and there were two matted
dirty animals on the step. Never let a dog go hungry! So I didn't. We now have two more shih tzus in the family. One my oldest sister took, Sassy. Shannon and Sassy:) Sassy is a sweet shih tzu hound
with a fear of thunder storms.And Ted the tub
stayed with dad. He has a heart condition and according to the vet should have died 2 years ago. He's a love and snores just as loud as his owner....
The two recent
additionswho I believe found us
but are not strays keep my life interesting. Odin
was Eric and I's first puppy to-
gether. He had no idea! It was fun and my light chasing sensitive pup
has finally started to cuddle. After moving to a bigger place we made another spontaneous decision kind of and got a female dog.
We wanted a big shepherd to watch over me on my nights that Eric works third. In came our first rescue, Juliet. We didn't get huge and scary but short and super solid with a ferocious bark. It works for me! Didn't think I would
love her as much as I do.
Now there are five dogs that I can think of that aren't mentioned at length. Jesse the most recent huge dog dad brought home, the Chesapeake Bay Retriever is 9 years old and has enough energy for 3 horses. The dog doesn't stop and loves rocks. When dad rolled his truck a while back, she was hooked up to the flat bed by a nylon leash; survival took over and she broke loose before the roll and was fine. Ted also fared well in the cab of the truck.
This is Jesse riding the bear cat snowmobile.
Sparky, who dad rescued at 6 months of age from a pet store. This is about the max time for a dog at a pet store before behavior issues start to arise and they are "unadoptable" and a lot of them get put down if they don't sell. He went to live in the country country (yes it is supposed to be there twice, it is different than regular country where we lived) with a friend after biting a niece. Suzy #2 briefly mentioned in the first blog, who took her 6 small pups out in the woods to die. We know this as one wandered back to the yard after 2 days missing hungry and really cold. Harry a random stray couldn't stay off the darn road and died a couple years after finding us. Charlie the toy poodle my dad gifted to my very very nervous grandma. Please do not gift animals! He went to my second cousin I think.
I read over my pets of my life and I think SHEESH there have been lots! They have not all been mine but ours and we hardly ever leashed our pets if they were outside dogs which opens them up to getting hit on the road. Which is one reason we had so many I think. Another tip people, if you hit a dog with your car you need to stop and help it and/or tell the owners. NO EXCUSES!!
All I know is that without dogs I would have had a boring child hood and every single one of them taught me something whether it be some have temperament issues that need work or that animal instincts and the natural way of life does sometimes prevail no matter how much we try to alter it. I have loved them all immensely but there will always be those special few who I miss or love so dearly. Thanks puppies.
