Mandy

            She didn’t have a name, just a number – 1181.  She was about 4 months old, shy, afraid, and very quiet.  She lived in a cage with another abandoned puppy, in a room full of other frightened and insecure animals.  I had gone to the shelter to photograph number 1181 for a potential adopter who expressed interest in a hound.  I picked up the puppy to get a good look at her in the darkness of the kennels, and she immediately gave me a big, wet kiss, and I was hooked.  I asked the shelter to hold her as long as possible and told them that if no one adopted her in the final hour, then I would take her.  And that’s what happened.  Mandy, as she was now called, had a few sores and a little kennel cough, all of which we cleaned up in a couple of weeks with the vet’s help.  Because she was female and not aggressive, she was readily accepted by our other dogs, and immediately brightened up and proceeded to take over the household. 

            With care and regular meals, Mandy grew from 14 pounds at adoption to 30 lbs in about a month. Her coat, the pitch black and red-tan of a ‘coon hound, soon was smooth and shiny and as glowing as her black eyes.  Full of puppy energy and well fed, Mandy soon relished her daily walks to the park and the occasional romp with one of the other, more adult, dogs… when she could entice them to play.  She regularly emptied the large bin of dog toys in the dining room and carried her favorites around the house, prancing with pride at her catch.  She showed her excitement at mealtime, where she learned her name and to “sit” while her dinner was prepared and presented to her.  Mandy rapidly became part of the family and a constant source of energy and entertainment.

            Mandy is now approaching her first birthday.  She has grown some but will not be a large dog.  She is just as energetic and eager to play as the first month we brought her home.  She is in motion from the minute she awakes to bedtime, so much so that when 9 P.M. arrives she crawls into her bed and sleeps through the night, secure and, I’m convinced, happy.  She has a wonderful hound’s nose and an ability to spot an animal in motion, even birds flying overhead and squirrels traversing the power lines over the street.  She knows by now where “home base” is, and returns to me quickly after a short chase of her prey in the woods.  To our delight, she must have Lab in her, because she takes readily to water and is a natural swimmer and retriever, all without training.  And her feet are webbed.

            We had the few puppy moments with Mandy early on, the chewed newspapers and the occasional puddle on the floor, but those are part of the adjustment process for a creature that probably was born and lived it’s short infancy out of doors and with nothing to play with.  She’s learned fast and returns our love every day with love of her own.   We truly believe that these adopted animals appreciate our care and that they love us, however dogs love, for giving them a life - a good life - and giving them something to live for.  To see this little dog come alive and absorb all the fun and joy of everyday life is worth the little bit of expense and trouble that we go through to care for her.  She gives us a laugh everyday and returns our love and attention many times over. 

We encourage anyone who can devote the time and who can make the commitment to adopt one of these remarkable animals: to give it a home and attention and interact with it.  Better yet, why not adopt two or three?  The rewards are daily and long-lasting.