Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Shaggy Dog Story


Wallace isn't shaggy. He's short-haired. Mutt, comically so. Body shape: beagle. Curled tail: husky. Legs: stocky terrier, like a Jack Russell. Head: squarish, maybe boxer or pit bull. Personality: angel. He's so, so gregarious and cute, and looks at you with his big limpid hazel eyes...well. I have to get a hold of myself. Because Wallace just showed up last Friday at our house and stuck around for the weekend, and now has gone off on a jaunt and hasn't visited. His food and water on our side porch, untouched. And just when I found a forever home for him.

He had on a collar with no info. I took him to the vet-- no chip. They think he's about a year old. He's not neutered [but surprisingly docile], so the first order of things was to see if he was missing and go ahead and get his shots and get him fixed-- because the animal shelters here are overrun with dogs and cats, because PEOPLE NEED TO SPAY AND NEUTER THEIR PETS. Please.

I took Wallace for a long walk and inquired if anyone had seen him before, and after an afternoon of forensic investigation, I discovered Wallace's name and that his "owners" were moving and not to be found. So, with the help of several animal-loving neighbors, we printed out flyers with Wallace's picture, "Free to Good Home" and delivered them to coffee shops, vets, pet stores. But did I mention the shelters are overrun with puppies and kittens every spring? Not an easy thing to find a home for an adult dog.

You may be wondering why I don't adopt Wallace. I would in a skinny greyhound second except that Otto, my 7-year-old shelter-adopted Shusky [shepherd-husky mix] played with Wallace on Saturday, but by Sunday had enough, thank you, and started a big ol' scary fuss. Maybe because Wallace has yarbels and Otto doesn't-- he's neutered of course. But there was a buried squeaky hot dog toy incident, and than a ruckus, and we had to keep them apart. Otto had put his paw down about remaining a one-dog household.

So...my sister, who lives out of town, has a wonderful, gentle dog she adopted from the shelter who has the activity level of a rug...he's a rolly polly pacifist, and we decided Wallace would be a great addition to their household.

Only Wallace didn't stick around to get the news. Come back, boy.

3 comments:

  1. ARGH!!! This would not have happened if the original owners or you have made proper arrangements of putting owner identification on his collar. That information would have been useful in identifying the owners, or you since they didn't think about it first. :( I'm so sorry that he's lost again :(

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  2. Wallace was staying with us days, and at night with our neighbor who has a fenced in yard, and then at another neighbor's too. I'm going to check around b/c I think he may have gone back to the house where his prev owners were, and they took him to their new digs. I hope so. But if his cute little face shows up tomorrow, I'm going to whisk him off to his new home.

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