I took Rocky to the AFL shelter last night and I'm so upset. I think he knew what I was going to do. Just look at his face!
We hugged for a long time and I told him to be happy and to have a good life and that everything will be ok.
Will it? Somebody tell me it will be ok.
Desert Dawg is just too old and too persnickety to get along well with other dogs - let alone one like Rocky who couldn't help himself when it came to being playful and nipping at her. She was an emotional wreck - cowering on the bed and shivering. I don't know to what degree it was Desert Dawg Drama or what degree it was pure anxiety. She is a bit of a Fairy Princess. Unfortunately, since she was so traumatized, I couldn't keep Rocky around any longer.
We drove down to Animal Friends League's shelter in Wafra. I wasn't impressed by the drive - almost an hour down a road with blowing sands and dips in the road. I discovered along the way that the last time my Envoy was serviced, they forgot to bolt on the front left side of the bumper, so it was banging in the wind all the way down there.
I was impressed by the shelter. It is hidden away from public view - I'm sure to protect the animal occupants - but once you get inside, it is a modern shelter facility cleaner than any I have seen in the US. There were lots of other puppies of Rocky's size, age, and questionable lineage. I know he'll have friends. I also know he is the most special.
In the few days that I had him (4 in total) he learned several commands and how to walk on a leash. That is actually faster than it took Desert Dawg and I consider her quite smart. He is also quiet. I had to lock him in my big bathroom (it is more of a bathroom suite) during the day and he didn't make a sound - even when I got home and walked around.
I also love his color! If you look at his face (forehead), you can see another face in the design of his coloring. It looks like a raccoon.
I guess it was 4 days too long to keep him. I should have driven him to the shelter the day after I found him, but it is now too late. I'm in love and worried sick about how he's doing in his doggy-cell. I hope they gave him his toys.
Girls are fickle. Desert Dawg spent all of last night searching for Rocky both inside and outside the house. She woke up in the morning looking for him and stared at me as if I had done something terribly wrong when I left to work.
Sadness.
I used to be a volunteer at the AFL shelter when I was in Kuwait. In fact, my sister still volunteers there when she can.
ReplyDeleteRocky's going to be just fine. The first thing I noticed on my first day there, two years ago, was how happy the animals there were.