Well, my focus today has turned from relishing wonderful family Christmas moments to trying to find our missing dog, Sugar. We have had a rough year with pets. We live way out in the "sticks," and our home is located about a quarter mile off the road. We have 39 acres for our dogs to romp and play in, but somehow property lines don't mean much to dogs. We are not immune to animal tragedies. As a matter of fact, 2013 has been the most devastating year in that regard, but that's another story.
We fight with ourselves constantly about putting the dogs in the pen. They absolutely H-A-T-E it! I mean they hate it to the point that they are barking and yelping and whining and howling (in apparent agony) constantly, until we finally give in and feel sorry enough for them to give them a break. And when we do open that gate, they run like the wind, as if they never want to return to that God-forsaken place that they consider "Doggie-hell," by what I can decipher. They get the heck-outta-dodge until they are sure the coast is clear that we have abandoned the mission to inhumanely re-cage them.
We have tried a few times to lock them in the garage to keep them safe and happier at night or when we are going to be gone a while. They do seem to like it better than the pen for a bit, but, if we are home and attempting to sleep, we will soon hear woeful-sounding lullabies that sound eerily similar to the song that "Doggie-hell" inspires. Or, if we've been away a few hours, re-entering the garage gives a sense of deja vu
reminiscent to the set of a "Marley and Me" disaster.
So, therein lies the distressing issue we face today: Sugar is missing. This was the second day we haven't seen her. No one panicked yesterday, but we just assumed she was still out hunting rabbits, after her best Beagle-buddy, Ann, had long-since returned. It's happened before...although not often. However, for a country dog, that is as free as the wind and feels the need for speed the way Sugar does, there's no call for panic when she's away for a few extra hours. But Sugar always stays on guard on the front porch full-time at night. She sleeps right in front of our front door, and has for the last five years, to protect us from any stray goblins that may be lurking about in the darkness.
Sugar is the protectress of our fort and is proud of that role. She is the epitome of what a dog should be. She's perfect. When my 10-year-old daughter first laid eyes on Sugar as an eight-week old puppy, she knew she had to have her. Kylie was about to celebrate her sixth birthday, and we had taken a family outing to browse around at Trade Day in Collinsville, Alabama, which, incidentally, is one of my favorite places in the world. There was a single black and gold puppy that caught her eye, and she wanted to get a closer look. My husband and I began to spout off reasons why we shouldn't hold her, or pet her, or even get close enough to talk to her. Besides, the puppy already had two kids to play with. However, it was those two kids that ultimately sealed the deal for Kylie. When she boldly asked them what were they doing with that puppy, they immediately stated that they had to find it a home. Their parents had brought them and this little puppy with eight or ten puppy siblings to find good homes at Trade Day, and other shoppers had quickly picked out each of the other ones for their own. Kylie proceeded with, "Why didn't anyone pick that one?" The answer was plainly that the others were cuter. This offended our little girl greatly (our daughter, not the dog.) She was devastated that they could say such a thing about her, and she proudly proclaimed, "She's perfect!" The kids continued that no one wanted her, but their parents had made it clear they absolutely WERE NOT taking it back home, especially not this one...
We weren't in the market for a dog. The two of us adults were distinctly aware of what suckers we become when it comes to animals. If we allow ourselves to hold them or pet them or talk to them, we are hooked. We are especially hopeless, if a cute little black and gold puppy needs us, and a cute and curly-headed little girl needs her, too (and yes, she said that!) Their sweet little animal world quickly captivates us with its endless supply of furry love, licks, and "puppy-dog eyes." I consider each day a blessing, especially when we get to spend it in the company of our four-legged family members we call pets!
I hope I can report tomorrow with a post entitled, "Found Sugar." See flier below for more info and photos of Sugar.
God Bless!
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