Talk Cancer

Question:

I wasn’t going to go to the shelter today, but wound up doing so. To make a long story short, I may have a new furry kid. But I’m not getting my hopes up or even thinking of bonding until after she sees the vet on Monday. Mookie

Response:

I wasn’t going to go to the shelter today, but wound up doing so. To make a long story short, I may have a new furry kid. But I’m not getting my hopes up or even thinking of bonding until after she sees the vet on Monday.

I will tentatively cross my fingers for you, in a low-key, low-pressure sort of way.  I’m glad you actually found a shelter that worked with you!  That alone is an achievement! & Edric the Wonder Mutt, Kati the world’s hairiest Akita,  __     /|__ Gypsy the brindle pinto pogo stick, ah, I mean Akita,     /  ___/ ^_/   and Battlecat & Cringer, who think all dogs are dumb       /     |   (oh, yeah, there might be a husband under all the hair)     / — /  "If I don’t vacuum for another year, maybe I’ll finally   ||     ||   have wall-to-wall carpeting!"            

Response:

Oleksuk) writes: I’m glad you actually found a shelter that worked with you!   That alone is an achievement!

Agreed! But it seems that I was working with the weekend staff at this shelter (county-run). They were most cooperative and in fact eager to let people interact with the dogs and cats. I guess the moral is – go on the weekends! My choice was a small, thin female cocker, in a color known around here as blonde (too light to be buff, with white highlights, but not parti), approximate age 2-3 years. Once I expressed an interest in this dog, she was taken out of the kennel immediately and I was urged to take her out to the fenced yard to play. Now that was different. In my weekday visits, I hadn’t even known there was a play yard. Though there were many distractions, we discovered that she knows "sit," "down" and "no." She enjoyed being petted and seemed friendly and playful enough, but really wanted to get out of the yard…possibly back to her former home. She was listed as a stray, but was handed over to the wardens along with a harness and choke collar. We wondered if she’d recently had pups. Her nipples were huge, stretched and tender. She seemed to always be searching for something. I didn’t want a buff cocker, but I think this little one needs a chance. With some socialization and training, she’ll probably be a nice little companion. But again – I won’t even consider bonding until she’s seen by the vet Monday. If she’s cleared, I can have her anytime after Friday. If she is, what do you think – should I stop by on my way home each day and play with her a little? Or let her sit in stir to break old attachments? Mookie

Response:

I shouldn’t have. I knew it was too good to be true.

Response:

| I shouldn’t have. | | I knew it was too good to be true. So, what happened?  Was the dog not well, or did the "weekday shift" change the minds of the "weekend shift"?   Please tell us…we *are* concerned! /andrea & Max — Andrea Dec                          (Clever stuff under consideration) Hewlett-Packard Company             I try not to have too many opinions, Solutions Mfg. & Distribution       but those I do have are not supported   Operation (East  )                by HP.

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I shouldn’t have. I knew it was too good to be true.

HANG IN THERE! Crossed paws, I hope you find your special one soon. Lots of luck. Sue Jeffrey Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center New York City

Response:

Crossed paws…

I was told the little dog would be veted on Monday. When I called the weekday shift, I was told that was not the case. According to the supercilious woman I spoke with (who persisted on calling me by my first name, yet insisted that I call her "Mrs."), the vet only came on Wednesdays. Possibly too late for this dog. They only hold them four days. And four days from Saturday was Wednesday. I also reminded her that I couldn’t pick the dog up until Friday. She actually shouted into the phone that I had to pick the dog up no more than 24 hours after it was veted. I told her, trying to stay very calm, that I had told the weekend staff I’d pick the dog up Friday. She snorted into the phone that no one had made a note of that (Obviously my fault). But, she cheerfully reminded me, if the dog was put down I’d get my $10 deposit back. How jolly she was when she told me that. I’ll never forget that. And it plunged me into a very blue funk. I’d rather have the dog than the ten bucks. So, I didn’t call on Wednesday, and nobody called here. I thought the little dog was a goner. But, under pressure from the other occupants of this household, I called on Thursday, and was actually amazed to be told it was all a "go." I could come pick up the dog on Friday as planned. Heck with that. By Friday they might change their minds or give her to someone else. I dropped everything and high-tailed it up to the shelter. And now, little nameless is asleep under my desk. She’s had her shots which are good for a year, tested negative for worms (with two doses of medicine sent home for the next two weeks), and her spay certificate is accepted by our family vet as payment-in-full. The vet’s notes place her at 1.5 years old, but the warden who did the paperwork with me says they tend to pad the estimates and she’s probably more like a year. She’s a skinny 20 pounds and "white" (though she isn’t white-white, but rather a very pale buff with the white highlights). She’s had at least two litters, and her nipples are still very tender – in the notes it says one litter was recent. But, at the bottom of the page, the vet wrote "very nice dog." I tend to agree. She’s extremely energetic, and seems to have taken her place in the family very nicely. She knows where she can and cannot go inside, but thinks all of the yard belongs to her. Thankfully, she’s housebroken. She loves to snuggle, and hates dog food. She won’t even take a t-r-e-a-t. I’m sure this can be worked out. She gets three days to be excited, and then we begin the training. She has no name, but answers to "Puppy," of all things – so suggestions are welcome. She’ll be meeting her Aunt, Uncle and two Canine Cousins on Sunday. Happy at last, Mookie

Response:

What great news!  Best of luck to you and the new family member! I have to admit, two very silly and trite names came to mind instantly, when I read this whole thread: Happy, or Lucky Not too far off from "Puppy" anyway.  :)

Response:

She gets three days to be excited, and then we begin the training. She has no name, but answers to "Puppy," of all things – so suggestions are welcome.

"Hope" — as in Hope springs eternal!! Way to go Mookie! & Edric the Wonder Mutt, Kati the world’s hairiest Akita,  __     /|__ Gypsy the brindle pinto pogo stick, ah, I mean Akita,     /  ___/ ^_/   and Battlecat & Cringer, who think all dogs are dumb       /     |   (oh, yeah, there might be a husband under all the hair)     / — /  "If I don’t vacuum for another year, maybe I’ll finally   ||     ||   have wall-to-wall carpeting!"            

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Crossed paws… Happy at last, Mookie

Mookie, the power of crossed paws!! (I’m sure both Maggie and poor little Otto will be grateful that they can finally uncross themselves, been kinda tough for them….) CONGRATS, I’m sure you’ll make a wonderful new parent to … how about "lucky"? Sue Jeffrey Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center New York City

Response:

The power of crossed paws…

Works for me! So far Puppy has been Nikki, Casey, Kira, Chrissy, and Katie.  We’ll try Lucky, couldn’t hurt! I’m posting in .behavior about her… Mookie

Response:

Okay, okay, I must have missed something here….the last post I read from Mookie said something to the effect of "I knew it was too good to be true". So WHAT HAPPENED??????   Did Mookie become a parent?????? Plllllleeeeeaaaassseeee tell me. Thanks! /andrea — Andrea Dec                          (Clever stuff under consideration) Hewlett-Packard Company             I try not to have too many opinions, Solutions Mfg. & Distribution       but those I do have are not supported   Operation (East  )                by HP.

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