black dog update!

i've been on medical leave for almost 9 months now. you would think i'd have figured out by now that a dognap at 6p lands me wide awake at 1a. yes, i missed the 9p doggie dinners, but they slept right through it, too!

so it's 1a now and i figured i would write.

(hopefully) by the time i post this, black dog will officially/temporarily be "mine". i have been holding off about the details, because the guy that "owns/owned" her is someone that works at the same place as me, and we know a bunch of the same people, and i wanted to wait and see how this would all work out. i found her in my yard saturday (the 16th) morning just after 9a. you can read those details here. well, i put an ad in the paper and on craigslist and a "found dog" sign in my front yard. monday and tuesday i started getting some crazy phone calls of people that were very obviously not the owners, claiming to be the owners. "it's a black dog. i dont know what breed it is. i'm not good with dogs like that." yeah, then she is not yours... and if she was, youre not gettin' her back!

tuesday i got a ton of phone calls from this guy saying it was his brother's dog. but he didnt have too many details and his brother was at work. i told him just to have his brother call me when he got out of work. tuesday came and went and no phone call from the supposed dog owner. i also received some email conversation with a lady that works with the supposed owner. she said the guy's dog is always getting out and he has talked about finding it another home. she said she would talk with him at work. wednesday came with another phone call from brother, but the owner still never called. finally, thursday i got an email late in the day from the lady co-worker that, yes, this guy's dog was missing. so, this guy knows that on saturday is dog went missing. and his brother had been calling me and him, a lot, saying "i know this is his dog"... yet the owner waited until thursday night to call me. he knew for 3 days that i had his dog. i live about 4 blocks from him and he had my phone number.

owner calls. we talk for a bit. i tell him i work the same place as him and we kinda figure out if we might know each other. i work 3rd shift at one end of the plant and he works days at the exact opposite end of the plant. we talk for a while, and i suggest a few times that he can come to my house or i can bring her to his house. he kinda slides out of responding to that by talking more about the dog. he had 2 dogs, and 1 died a while back and he says this dog has been crazy since then. he puts her in the yard (which he claims has a vinyl fence) and she digs her way out. when she got out saturday, he had put her in the yard for the day while he was at work.

let me pause right here to say it was in the fucking 20*s that day! and he was going to leave her out there for 10 hours?!

okay, back to topic. since i am past the point of making this long story short... he kept making comments like, "you have dogs? maybe they want a friend." and "you can keep her if you want." and "are you sure you dont want her?" ... finally i said, "are you serious?" i told him i have 2 dogs of my own and i cant own 3 within the city limits, but that i would gladly keep her until i could find her a new home. i didnt want him taking her back just to throw her in the yard again and she gets out again and gets hit by a car or something. i would be miserable. i said i have some good leads on a home for her. and he said that would be fine. he said, "well, she has an appointment on saturday. i was gonna get her shots." i was like, ooohhh great, what is wrong with her? he claims she is due for he annual shots. i told him i have been on medical leave for 8 months and i cant afford that expense. he actually offered to pick her up 9a saturday (today), take her to get her shots and license, and bring her back to me. i said, "well how do you want to do this? would you like to come over and see her or i can bring her over so you can say 'goodbye' or something?" he said no, he would just see her on saturday. and that was basically it.
i got off the phone flabbergasted that he wouldnt want such an amazing dog... but relieved that 1) i didnt have to keep looking for her owner, but most important, that i knew she would be with me and be loved until i could find her a forever family.

then i got to thinking. he could easily just pick her up from my house saturday, drive her around for a bit without getting her shots, then bring her back and i wouldnt know. except i would, because she needs her vaccine records to get a license.

friday, yesterday, a friend gave me $25 for doggie food. i went to walmart (where i usually go) but they had raised their prices... again. so i went to kroger. i dont go to kroger, but i wanted to see if they were any cheaper. not much. but they did have KaiYin's food in stock. walmart didnt. as i was standing there staring at mountains of dogfood realizing that $25 would cover my 2 dogs for a week, but no way in hell it was gonna feed this dog, i decided to call the owner. i told him i am broke and cant really afford to feed 3 dogs right now, and i am standing in the dogfood aisle to get my dogs' food, could he please bring me the food he has for black dog? he said he would bring it on saturday. i tried to make it clear that i needed it friday, but he was insistent he would bring it when he picked her up saturday morning. that's when i said, "well, i wanted to talk with you about that. i can just meet you at the vet at 9a. not a problem. the vet you go to is by my ma's house and i'm taking her to meet my ma after she is done anyway." he was like, "nah. i only live a couple blocks from you, i can pick her up." but i insisted i would meet him there. and really, what can he do? i've got her. i'll leave early and wait there, that way he doesnt cut me off in my driveway. i need to make sure she has her shots!

so, that is that for now. it is 230a saturday morning and i need to meet him at 9a at the vet across town. i'm not trying to look down on this guy or talk bad about him. i'm not going to tell you his name, since we do in fact know a bunch of the same people and work at the same place. but i will say, no matter who you are or who you know, you can figure it out for yourself that it sucks that someone that has "owned" a dog for at least 2 years, a dog that is extremely well-behaved and affectionate, it sucks that that person would know their dog is gone for 3 days, then for 3 additional days they know the exact house it is at only 4 blocks away from their home, and the phone number, but they dont call to check on the dog. that just breaks my heart. i am so happy that black dog is (fingers crossed) going to be staying with me. even if just for a little while. i know that she will be well loved and taken care of here. and i know that i will find her an outstanding home with a happy doggie life and family.


1136a
wow! this morning seemed to take forever! i got to the vet about 845a. he was suppose to meet me there for her appointment at 9a. the receptionist came out to see if i was dropping her off for her bath. i said no, i thought she was getting shots... and that i have already given her 2 baths at my house. i explained the situation, and the girl was very understanding. "owner" didnt show up until 930a! her appointment was at 9a! ha came in, didnt really pay much attention to black dog, then he said he just wanted to pay and leave. he didnt want to stay for the appointment itself. well, there was still 10 minutes left on her fecal test to see if she has worms. if she had worms, it would cost more for her meds. so they asked him to wait at least 10 minutes. reluctantly, he went in to the exam room with me and black dog. that was super uncomfortable! i was trying to be civil and not say much, but i was really bothered with the entire situation. buuut... *he* is paying for her shots to be updated, so i had to be thankful for that since i have no money. i just had to stick it out.

vets came in, no worms, which meant no meds, so they gave her her shots and we went out to pay. he paid for everything and we transferred her license to me. we walked out, i got the leftover dogfood he had (not much at all) and we went our separate ways. i was sooo relieved that she was sitting in my jeep with me as he drove away. he did say that if i dont find a home, call him, and he might take her back. but it didnt feel sincere. maybe he's just a guy that doesnt show emotions well, i dont know. but i can guarantee i'm going to find her the bestest home ever! until then, i know that she is being loved and cared for all the time!

when i kept waking all night last night, at one point i was trying to clear my head. so i cleaned out the few boxes that were in the spare room and moved black dog upstairs. i am more comfortable with this now since she has her shots. but now she is upstairs with us, has a warm bed and toys and windows to look out and tons of love. i know there doesnt seem to be anything else i could say... there is... but i really dont have time! ma is picking me up at 430p today to go see one of her friends. so i need to get this done, save it, go up to the library, post this, check my emails, back to the house to shower and eat (assuming i can hold something down), do another round of doggie potty walks, then it will prolly be time for ma to get me.

i want to thank all of you that have been and still are willing to help me and my dogters! (here come the tears) i know i always have something to say, and words seldom fail me, but i just cant express to you how much it means to know and feel loved and supported. especially by some people you hardly know... or you havent seen in years! it means so very much to me and i could never thank you enough. i love you, love you, love you all! and not just for the dogfood! but i think you know that!

my dogters send you all pooches smooches!
much love.
be well.
~Angela, KaiYin, Loki, and "Black Dog" (until we get a new name!)