Several months ago, we received a phone call from my sister, the animal advocate. She had temporary custody of a white female boxer. The dog was approximately three to four years old, was overused for breeding purposes, and had been physically abused. Would we be interested in adopting her? She knew our circumstances. I had an older poodle when the boys came to live with us. She was my mom’s dog and when my mother passed away she transferred her emotional dependence to me. She was not a child’s dog in any way. Prissy was a miniature apricot poodle, advanced in age, and determined to ignore the new members of the family. The boys never bonded with her. When it was time to put her down due to serious health issues, Paul and I agreed the six cats were enough; no more animals for awhile…”the best laid plans of mice and men”. After Sandy called, we had a family meeting, discussed the possibility of welcoming the boxer into the family, and asked the boys if they were ready to accept the responsibilities that come with the everyday care of a pet. They desperately wanted a dog and would’ve agreed to anything to have her.
The following weekend, the boys and I piled in the truck and drove to East Texas to pick up our new dog, Pinky. When we arrived, she was excited to meet us and immediately bonded with the boys. It was obvious she had been abused; she had a burn mark on her left hip, was diagnosed by our vet with untreated red mange, which we were relieved to learn is not contagious to humans or other animals, and can only be contracted in the womb by her puppies. We had no intention of breeding her and we proceeded with treating the disease. She also displayed apprehension if scolded and fear if someone around her moved too quickly toward her. She had been rescued from an abandoned mobile home with no food or water. It was obvious her life had been difficult. Luckily animals are a great deal like children, strong and resilient. Pinky adapted quickly to our lifestyle. She had a tendency to gorge in the beginning, due to being hungry for so long. She would linger over the food bowl for fear one of the cats might steal a bite. She established her “food bowl territory” so this is no longer a problem. The cats are very aware which food bowl belongs to whom. They are through testing the waters.
The transition of adding a new family member was made fairly smoothly. I noticed along the way how many parallels there were with the boys’ first moving in and the addition of Pinky. There was a lot of trepidation in the beginning of both transitions. Insecurity, suspicion, and a little fear of the unknown were prevalent in both. After a period of time, the feeling of belonging prevailed and the home atmosphere was much more relaxed in both cases. It is comforting to know love and security can change anyone’s life, whether it’s an abused child or an abandoned animal.
Pinky now has her place in the bedtime scenario. She is allowed to choose whom she sleeps with and displays a democratic attitude by rotating the boys’ beds most nights. Pinky’s place as a family member was firmly established when the boys gave her a nickname; she is now referred to as Stinky Pinky; she suffers with flatulence. Our newest addition loves to nap with our older cat, Thomas a.k.a., Mr. Bones. She and our female cat Gidget (the Watermelon Cat), are both motherly so the boys get the benefit of being groomed by the cat and snuggled by the dog.
Pinky has an uncanny ability to recognize the concept of time. At first she judged the time of after school arrival by the air brakes on the school bus. Now she intuitively knows it is time for the boys to get home from school and sits anxiously peering out the door, waiting with Gidget. The two fussy moms sit side by side, anticipating the arrival of their little boys. It is one of my favorite times in the day as I watch my boys run up the driveway to be greeted with joy and excitement by their pets.
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