Letter: 3 rescue dogs prove value of the type
The president-elect and his family are going to get a first pet. The Obamas will soon learn what I and so many others know, rescue dogs are the very best. I can say this with absolute certainty because I have three rescue dogs in my life. One is my own and two belong to my daughter and are my grandpuppies.
Chelsie is my fur-baby and she is the best dog in the world. I walked into Pet Smart one Sunday a little over a year ago and her eyes met mine. She has this little tiny face that doesn’t quite fit her body. She has black ears and patches around her eyes that are just a bit off centered so she resembles a slightly drunk Batman. Anyway, the poor baby was in a kennel with a Jack Russell. And though the Jack Russell was cute, he was being a Jack Russell and bouncing all over her. She just gave me a look that said, “Please lady, if you have any compassion in you, you would rescue me from this hyper little beast.”
So, much to the delight of the people with the PROUD organization, I did.
Chelsie is a weird mixture of rat terrier, basenji and Dalmatian, and she is a female. Let me just tell you now, she lives up to that reputation. Chelsie has me on a schedule, and I don’t dare try to adjust it to fit my lifestyle. No sirree, she makes sure she keeps me in line. Until I got Chelsie, I had no idea I could love an animal so much.
Then there is Sling Shot. My daughter adopted Sling Shot from the SPCA in Yolo County, where she lives. Sling Shot is great Dane/Lab cross. Sling, as we call him for short, has the heart of a Chihuahua. He thinks he’s a lap dog. The second one of his people sits down he’s up in their laps. He curls up as small as a 100-pound dog can curl up, makes himself comfortable and snores. Sling also has a tail that should be classified as lethal weapon. When he gets that tail wagging, nothing is safe. He has been known to leave bruised thighs in his wake. Sling is also a coward. He is afraid of everything.
Sling’s mommy lives on the Delta and from time to time small critters get into the house. One day in particular a lizard ended up in a pair of sweat pants. Needless to say there was a bit of screaming when the lizard was discovered. While his mommy was screaming and throwing pants, Sling did what any self-respecting big dog would do, he jumped on the bed, hid under the covers and whimpered.
And finally, there is Wiley. Wiley is German shepherd/coyote cross, hence the name Wiley Coyote. Wiley is the sweetest dog ever born. He just wants to love you. He is very generous with his kisses. Wiley also has no vocal chords, due to some jerk who should never be allowed around animals, let alone own one. Wiley isn’t much of a watch dog either. If somebody came after Wiley’s mommy, he would say, “Come on in and rob us. Take all of our worldly possessions, but please, please, please pet me, and let me lick you all over your face!”
Yes, for all of their quirks and the heartbreaking stories rescue dogs have, they are by far the very best dogs ever. To adopt your own special furry friends, contact the Madera County Department of Animal Services at 675-7891.
Lori Mitchell,
Chowchilla
Gee Lori, Let’s paint with a broad brush. Guess I’m one of those “jerks” who should never be allowed near an animal because I had one dog de-barked. Guess what Lori, neighbors don’t like dogs that bark all day and night, even in the house, even with walks, exercise and attention and no medical reason the vet could find. The alternative was to put the dog to sleep. You know what, the dog still barks, only super quietly. See, she’s a dog and unable to tell the difference and she’s happy, we’re happy and the neighbors are happy.
If you can’t stand a dog barking, which is what dogs do(among other things), you shouldn’t have gotten one as a pet…. I think anyone can see that that would’ve been the intelligent decision to make(not getting a dog as a pet)….