A Girl and her Dog

Driving through Denver on our way to a movie screening, Barry and I saw a young woman cross the street with her small, black dog. Her clothes hung off of her tall, skinny frame. She held a cardboard sign that read: "Need dog food. Anything helps." I sat at the stop light watching this woman and her little dog scurry up capital hill, wondering how they ended up this way. Did she have family? Had she been kicked out or abandoned? Was this dog her only friend, the only thing in the world she had left to hang onto?

The light turned green and I cut across traffic to turn in her direction. I told Barry I wanted to help her. We drove around the corner and saw her walking up the street. I pulled over, rolled down my window and Barry handed her a bill. She looked at us and thanked us profusely. I think I said I had a little dog. I think Barry said God bless you. As we drove away I saw her look up to the sky and say "Thank God."

I don't know why I felt compelled to give something to this particular girl. I see homeless people all the time. But maybe this girl needed it the most. Maybe she was on the verge of complete hoplessness. But there was something about her and her tiny pup. We're all only a few bad circumstances away from being that girl. But for the grace of God go I.

My only regret is that I didn't ask for her name.

Shredding Paper

It's simple. Charlotte likes all kinds of paper. She will go out of her way to grab kleenex or paper towels. When I haven't seen her in a few minutes and the house is a little too quiet...this is usually what I find.



The Evidence





The Culprit



Shredding Kleenex



Doesn't Care that She's Caught



Something Old, Something New, Something Charlotte, Something Blue

Morning of the wedding
Evergreen, CO

After a year of planning, my sister married her dream guy. It was an epic wedding held in the lush landscape of Evergreen. A whole weekend full of family, friends, amazing food and some serious rain, this event will not be forgotten.

Originally, I had planned to bring Charlotte to Evergreen for the weekend. My parents rented a house on the property, right across from the venue. She'd be able to run around and go on walks. As the wedding drew closer, I second guessed my plan. There were no fences, what if she got out? What would she do during the wedding? Be stuck in her kennel?





Beautiful Bride



My mom, ever the one for advice, told me I'd have more fun without her. Afterall, my sister would only get married once and I didn't want to be distracted, did I? DID I? So I started to figure out a new plan. I called a couple doggie overnight care places to price them out. One of them offered phone calls so parents can talk to their pets. Oftentimes it's harder on the parents than the dog, or so I'm told. At that point, I lost it. Tears started streaming down my face and I just looked at Charlotte. I think I said something like "You don't even know why I'm crying. This is ridiculous." In her sweet Charlotte way, she looked at me and cocked her head back and forth.

 At that point, Barry came home and I had to tell him why I was so upset, reliving my humiliation. Leaving her with strangers, even if they were dog lovers/experts, was not what I wanted to do. Then my friend, D, called me and I told her the situation. "What? I'll take her for the weekend. Don't send her to a kennel." Relieved, I thanked her and the plan was in place. (Yay for sweet friends!)





Chillin' at D's house


I spent three nights up in Evergreen without wondering if Charlotte was okay. Friends I hadn't seen in years greeted me and then asked if Charlotte was around. They couldn't wait to meet her. Nope. That weekend was about my sister and starting a new life with her man. I wouldn't have missed a moment of that for anything.

The Reality of Evacuating your Pet

Two weeks ago, the Waldo Canyon Fire exploded over the Rampart Range ridge and started to eat its way down to the city of Colorado Springs. Before this unexpected tragedy, I had been following the fire news religiously. Evacuations had started and people were making their way to friends houses or to the local Red Cross Shelters. Those with pets had to take them to the humane society and weren't allowed to keep their furry family members with them. Since Charlotte is my first pet, I've never thought about what I would do in an emergency situation such as this. But the thought of dropping her off during a time of tragedy did not sit well with me. As the fire burned, other local shelters advertised that evacuees could bring their small animals with them. They talked about families needing to stick together, including pets. Anxiety can be high for dogs and cats and they want to stay with their humans. Charlotte can't even handle me walking out to the garage for 30 seconds, much less being dropped off and locked in her kennel for an unknown amount of days.



Don't leave me!

Thankfully,  the city of Colorado Springs is not being threatened by this fire anymore. While the damage to property is enourmous and heartbreaking, the loss of life was minimal by comparison. Over 100 pets were rescued and taken to the humane society and animals are still being reunited with their families. I have a new appreciation for those who would have taken all three of us in, had we been in an evacuation zone. But with a seven pound pup, I may have tried to sneak her in anyway.

For those of you would still like to help out the fire fighting effort in Colorado, check out http://www.wildfiretees.com/. This website is made up of local designers and marketers who are volunteering their time. All proceeds go to local organizations like Care & Share. You can also buy a t-shirt for a firefighter!

Fuzzy, Fuzzy Buns

Taking Charlotte to the groomer for the first time was a huge milestone for both of us. One of my friends interviews groomers before taking her Yorkie. She makes sure they understand her breed of dog, how to cut the hair of a small dog and even if they will express his anal gland. (eeewwwww!) If her groomer passes that test, then she is good enough for Charlotte.



Overtaken by Fur



I took Charlotte to meet Carla. Carla immediately fell in love with her. They got to know each other and I admired the two pups hanging out waiting for their moms. They were all cute, fluffy and clean. I left Charlotte and went to lunch.

Two hours later I got a call from Carla to come pick up Charlotte. Anxiously, I asked her how it went.

"Oh, she's such a good girl! I can tell you've been working with her." Wow, really? Maybe all of the training I was doing was actually making a difference.



Cute and Clean



I walked into the groomer's room to pick up my little girl and I barely recognized her. I could actually see her eyes. She looked like a little lady. She was even more beautiful and looked less puppy.

On the drive home she poked her head out the window and looked so happy. Then she peed on Barry's lap. Still a puppy afterall.



A letter to my Pup

Dear Charlotte,



Riding Together



When I saw your sweet little face for the first time I knew I was going to adopt you. I made Barry bring cash with us on our visit because the thought of not having the chance to take you home that day was already heartbreaking to me. You were so cute and tiny playing with your parents that evening. I didn't even flinch when your breeder told me your nickname was "Killer". I laugh about it now because I knew nothing about dogs, much less puppies. I didn't know I'd be up in the middle of the night taking you to the bathroom. I didn't know of your capcity to cry for two hours straight in your kennel. On day four, when we'd had a particularly hard night, I sat on the couch with you crying because I thought Barry would take you back. But he said to me, "When have we ever given up on anything?" I sat there all red eyed and snot-nosed and said, "Never. We've never given up on anything." Then I determined in my heart that no matter how hard it got or how much sleep I lost, I wouldn't freak out on you or take you back. You found a place deep in my heart and curled up in there. You like to burrow, so it's not surprising.



Riding in the Car





On her LoveSac thone



And then something amazing happened. Taking care of you became second nature. I can't remember not having you. I vaguely remember the quiet. You fit into my life. We play and walk a lot. You're not the greatest cuddler except when we're in the car and you lay in my lap. You're finicky when it comes to chews and treats. Sometimes you like it, other times you hide it and bring it out later. But you love to be around us, even if it's in the same room. I laugh when you lick my toes and I'm trying to teach you how to do eskimo kisses. You never come when I call you. In fact, you literally lay down and stretch your whole body out as if to say, "You come to me." But I love your little personality that needs to talk to me when I give you a command. I guess you're a little stubborn like me too. You love Barry and cry when he leaves the room. Yesterday you slept in front of the door while he napped on the other side. I don't blame you, I like to be around him as much as possible. You may be a dog, but you're my dog and a part of the family. I hope one day you'll be able to share us, but for now it's the three of us and it's perfect.



Love,

J



Asleep in her favorite corner



 







Bunny Dog in the Forest

Charlotte looks like a white rabbit when she runs full force. It is an understatement to say that I'm freaked out by the thought that my little white pup will be attacked by a forest predator. We have fox, coyote, the occasional bear and hawks. I think this clip from The Proposal sums up my fear. 




Kevin got off easy!

There is also a rumored story that over 50 dog collars were found in an eagles nest. Can an eagle carry off a six pound pup? Maybe my friend Cheryl, who is also an eagle expert, will weigh in on this and ease my fears.

Have you ever lost your dog? How do you keep the little ones safe?