Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!!!!

OK, I want to make one thing perfectly clear right now. What follows in this post is not negotiable. N.O.T!!! So take a seat, get comfortable, and read.

Yesterday afternoon I opened the Humane Society Site and found this right at the top of the list of my specifications: Dog, Shih Tzu, Female.


Her name is Brenna and she had just been put on the list. She would be ready for adoption on 6/13/08, and she is in a shelter in Clovis, NM, just three hours away. The shelter hours for adoption are 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM . So I began a plan to be up early, leave at 7:00 and be there when they open. Sam needs a friend who is closer to his age and will play with him, and although I had decided to not adopt another until China is gone, I thought "OK, a female, playmate for the nervous boy, maybe I need to look at this one."

Then I woke this morning about 4:30 to Sam getting sick. I decided that I would cancel. I need to take care of him first.

At 8:30, I called the shelter and asked for some information about the dog. Small (probably under 10 lbs.), been on the streets a long time and fur full of mats, covered with ticks for which they have sprayed twice, very timid, hasn't nipped at the workers. So I said I would call again after 4:00 and if she was still there, I would come on Monday.

I hung up and a few minutes later, I realized that Sam is fine. He is on the bed with me and the others, acting completely normal. Well. What to do? So I jumped up, began getting ready. I fed the babies so they could eat while I showered. I ran everyone outside for another potty. I laid papers at the back door, just in case, closed all the windows in preparation for the air conditioner, loaded what little I needed into the car. I talked with Ali and China, saying I was going to take Sam with me, because I needed to see if the prospective new sissy and he got along OK; they could stay here and rest without interruption. They both sighed deeply and off I went.

At the shelter, I left the car in the shade of a tree with Sammy inside while I went in to take a first look. Brenna was as described on the phone, small, matted, infested and shy. But she didn't freak when I went into the kennel. In fact, her little tail wiggled, and I knew she wasn't mean.

I went out to ask if they had a place I could introduce her and Sam, and he directed me to two outdoor kennels, very nice ones in the shade and on the grass. I put Brenna in one, and went to the car to get Sam. As I was walking back, I saw Brenna outside the kennel!!! If she found her way around the high chain link fence, she would be right on the highway!

Fortunately, she did not run from me, and I was able to pick her up and head back to the kennel. As I approached, I saw that there was a place where some of the chain link was pulled away, and she had obviously slipped out there.

Inside the kennel, the two dogs sniffed noses and both little tails went waggling!! I had a match!! I had asked if they knew if Brenna had been spayed, and the man said no, he did not know, so I decided to see if I could find a scar on her belly. I suspected she had been or she would likely have had puppies or signs of recent birth, and at a glance it was not obvious. I mean, a girl out on the streets like this doesn't come away unblemished, right? So I picked her up and looked at her belly. There was too much hair to see her tummy, so I began moving it aside and .... guess what???? She's a HE!!!!! LOL!!!!!!!

I wanted a girl, not a boy, but by now I was already smitten and so were the two dogs. $46 fee, $25 to be refunded when he is neutered, and $10 refunded if he get a rabies within 10 days! Hellava deal!!

I put the two dogs in the car, and we started home. I looked over at the Newer Kid at a stoplight about 10 blocks down the street and knew his name. He was already looking more relaxed and didn't shrink from me at all. He is street smart and wise. He is Maxwell Lee. Uh-uh-uh!!!! I said it is not negotiable!!!

The ride home was uneventful. Both dogs slept most of the way, Sam curled up next to me and Max in the passenger seat. I stopped at a Sonic for a bite to eat, and Max perked up. I swear I heard him say, "Oh, I like Sonic! I've eaten here before, but not from the inside of a car!" I gave them both some doggy treats, and Maxwell looked at me like, "WTF???" I realize that most of his food has probably come from places like this for whatever period of time he has been on the street, so "people food" will be appealing to him, unlike Sam who smells it and just shrugs it off.


At home, I let everyone go potty, then took Max to the deck where he got a haircut. A very bad and incomplete haircut, I'm afraid, but I had to get the mats and excess hair off. I couldn't get him to hold still while I took pictures, so they are .... well, you can see.







He had "stuff" all through his hair. You can see flecks of it here. I was afraid to look too closely, but I think part of it is food, part of it ticks or tick carcases. shudder.












I found at least 4 kinds of ticks on this poor boy! Ick! Some as big as match heads!! Double ick!!

He did pretty well , but he didn't like me messing with the face.








Then it was inside for a bath. He didn't smell very good. He wasn't crazy about the bath, but not bad, either. Here he is afterward, with some treats to try to make him feel better.










Yeah, those white spots are skin where I had to cut mats out. Fortunately no sores were under them.

I took the hairdryer to his back so I could put Frontline on him ASAP!!








Ali and Sam stayed on the bed, hoping to be off my radar, I think!!












And China chose the crate as an out-of-the-way place to rest during all this.












Meanwhile, Max and Sam began to romp and chase each other around! They are getting along famously!! Hurray!! I'll bet Ali is going to be relieved, too!!










Max remains a bit wary of me, although he cuddles like a fool when we go to bed or get into the car! Goofy dog!












Max says, "Geez, look at the crud washed off me!!"












Max is exploring the whole house, whereas Sam wanted to have a confined, safe area when he first arrived.










Max has been all over the house, found toys to play with, is having a ball. He is making himself right at home. He already comes to me pretty well when I call, he responds to a whistle, and he is responding a bit to his name!! Some dog! I hope little Sam will follow his lead!

So, my weekend is cut out for me, isn't it? Hope you all have good ones!

Uh ..... expect more pictures! Like DUH!!!