"Lucy, I'm Home"

“Lucy, I’m Home”

Strange how things happen isn’t it?  I finished an entire “novel” on the (Mis)“Adventures of Casey” just last week.  I had to put it aside for awhile as it was making me too sad to continue to re-read and edit. 

We lost our beloved beagle on May 20, 2012.  I have been in mourning and really missed having her around.  Every day, I thought about Casey.  When Amanda came home from ASU we talked about and missed her.  When Matt came home from Chicago, we were not allowed to talk about her. 

I wondered if I would ever be able to get another dog.  Where do you start looking?  How?  Casey was a rescue beagle and a real handful.

Once Amanda came home, she started looking on –line for beagle puppies.  While cute, I was not sure I was ready for a new dog yet, especially a puppy.  A friend of mine said recently, “Puppies are over-rated!” 

All the puppies/dogs were either too expensive or very far away.  How do you order a dog on-line?  About a week ago, I remembered an email I had received while still at school.  It was from another teacher I know from the school I worked at last year.  We are Facebook friends and she saw my posts on Casey’s passing. 

Carrie had sent me an e-mail about a beagle that another teacher in her building had posted.  His wife had rescued a beagle from some kids that had been chasing and throwing stones at it.  They already had many cats (they are very involved with rescue cats).  They were keeping the dog, only until they could somehow find it’s owner.  They contacted shelters and posted an e-mail asking for a foster home for this beagle.  Well, adorable as she was, it was the same week we had lost Casey.  I closed the e-mail and put it out of my thoughts. 

Until now.  We were able to locate the e-mail in my deletes and I showed the pictures to Amanda.  I sent a response back to the family that had found her.  Several days went by.  Finally, I received an e-mail telling me that indeed, another family had taken the dog about a month ago.  As it happened, it was another teacher, in the same building. 

I decided to send a note to him asking about the dog, how it was doing etc.  Monday, he called me.  Left a message during class that they had only taken the dog as a foster dog and were not planning on keeping her.  They had discovered she had a “chip” but no one was able to contact the former owners.

Hmmmmm.  

Now as it happens, Matt, the teacher who now had the rescued beagle lives pretty close to where I live.  He asked whether I was interested.  I told him I would get back to him.  I needed to discuss things with my family.

The next day, Lucy came to live with us.

                                                                                                                                                                                                      We are now in day 3.  On July 4^th, we could hardly wait to get home from the parade to go give Lucy a look.  She was very well taken care of when she was found.  She appeared to be well-groomed and friendly.  She was taken to the vet to be checked out and has been “fixed”, appears to be about one and a half to two years old.  Her shots were all brought up to date and she received a clean bill of health.

Since Matt and his family had her about a month, they discovered that she was partially potty trained, knew some commands, is very friendly and a genuinely sweet dog.  They also had taken her to the same vet I have been taking my dog to. 

Her name was Minnie Me as she looked so much like their coon hound Stella.  We decided on Lucy so when we come home we can say “Lucy, I’m home” as only die-hard Lucy fans would understand. 

She is not without a few issues.  Having been abandoned for how long?  It makes me shudder to thing kids would chase, scare and throw rocks at an animal so friendly and trusting. 

She loves having the run of the house but not being completely house broken scares me enough to gate her in certain areas of the house.  We were warned that she chews, especially on cloth.  Uh oh!

She has also been allowed to jump on furniture, sleep with anyone who will have her and does not like to be moved so we have had a few growls.  I think consistency will be the answer, and patience. 

Monday July 9, 2012

Well, all is not perfect in Lucyville! 

When I arrived home from class on Friday, I learned that Lucy had scaled several fences in our backyard and was meeting the neighbors.  She can nearly hop the five foot wooden fence and found a way to claw under the bottom of the gate.  The children had to “work” to keep her out of the pool.  She nearly got her head stuck in the rungs of the deck rails.  We have our work cut out for us!

We took her for a walk to the Han-D-Dip Dairy Barn where upon spotting another dog, I nearly lost my hearing!  Yikes.  What an adventure.  She likes to ride in the car and does not seem to be fearful of neighbor dogs three times her size.  In fact, she seems to be quite fond of “Ben” who is nearly the size of a Great Dane.

She seemed content to sleep in the family room in her cute little newly purchased bed until it was our bedtime.  Since Matt, our 28 year old was in for the weekend, and he sleeps in the basement where it is freezing cold, it was only natural for Lucy to hop on his couch and sleep happily ever after…until Matt left to go back to Chicago last night.

Around 1:00, my daughter, Amanda, who is visiting from Phoenix for a few weeks after graduating from ASU, took her downstairs to the basement to sleep for the night.  She didn’t make the 2^nd floor when Lucy started to howl and cry.  The TV had been left on for her; she had plenty of food and water, just no people.  Well, I am on the other side of the house, 2 floors away and was awake in a flash.  Amanda had tried everything.  Lucy was so upset she was shaking.  We decided that Amanda would sleep in the guest room with a queen- sized bed and let Lucy sleep with her. 

All went well until he-who-shall-not-be-named….(my husband) got wind of it this morning.  His comments were something to the effect of “just let her cry, she will get use to sleeping alone.”  Fine for him to say.  He can sleep through a bulldozer knocking down the house and would just keep snoring. 

Amanda leaves to go back to Arizona next Sunday.  Stay tuned!