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May 24, 2000 I never owned a dog (I'm not a dog person) until I moved to Puerto Rico, land of the one million strays. First it was a little old poodle/terrier mix, probably dumped when someone's elderly relative died. We named him Charlie. Charlie was already at that time blind in one eye, nearly toothless, and deaf as a post. Never again, I swore. One dog is enough. I'm not a dog person. Then it was a little puppy a friend found dumped at the side of the road. We named her Bandit. OK. Maybe two dogs. She's just a puppy. I'm just not a dog person. Then it was another puppy who kept crawling through the fence to be with our other dogs. I kept TRYING to put her back out, but she kept getting back in. OK, alright, she's just a little thing, she won't eat much. 3 dogs then. But that's all. Named her Rusty. But I'm not a dog person. Then it was a Doberman Shepherd (a doberman/german shepherd mix, very distinctive dogs) named Shiloh, and he was too much dog for me, had to find him a home. See, proof I'm not a dog person. Really. In the meantime, Rusty, the dog I couldn't keep out, went into her first heat while I was at work. Since I couldn't keep her out, well, I couldn't keep her in either, and she got out, with the predictable result that every stray within a mile converged on her with just one thing on their tiny little pea brains. Chased her into the road and BAM! Leg and hip broken in three places. 3 operations and a plate in her hip later she gradually healed up, but her immune system had been blasted to hell and begone and it wasn't until we moved out here, away from city chemicals, that she really came back to some sort of health. So by the time all was said and done my free stray cost me over $3000 in vet bills. Sure glad I'm not a dog person! Imagine what would happen if I were! In the meantime, Charlie died year before last. He was something around 15, we'd had him for 6 years by then. Had to break the news to my son over the phone, since he was at his Dad's. He cried, I cried, my ex got pissed off (I should have waited 'til the poor kid got back and then told him his dog he'd had since he was 7 had been dead for two months, yeah, right). So then we had two dogs. Two is enough. I'm NOT A DOG PERSON. You DO understand that, right? Then we moved out here, and discovered our former neighbors had abandoned not only their property and a lot of their trash in our pasture, but also all of their animals. 2 chow mixes, a Rhodesian Ridgeback, and at least 8 cats - that we found. I will NOT have a chow or chow mix! I really put my foot down! No more dogs! Well, alright, ONE more dog. We inherited Missy the Rhodesian Ridgeback. Three dogs. And 9 cats (8 foundlings plus the one I already had). See, the cats outnumber the dogs 3 to one. I am not a dog person. Missy moved into town with my brother. WHEW! Back to only two dogs. Great! Because I'm NOT a dog person. While staying temporarily in a house in town last winter, I woke up in the dead of night to the furious barking of Bandit. Peered out the back door. Something was eating the food out of her bowl! But she was just barking and looking offended, must not be a possum. "Here, kitty kitty kitty!" What is that? Sure doesn't move like a cat. Ran to the bushes then worked its way along the edge of the house through the bushes - PUPPY! NO MORE DOGS! But ... its not a dog, its a puppy. OK, 2 dogs and a puppy. Thus was added Fidget the half border collie. I'm not a dog person. Took Bandit to the vet about November for her shots/checkup. Bandit has a heart murmur. But ... she acts fine! The vet says her heart is weak and it will hit her suddenly when the time comes. The time comes late in February. She struggles along, breathing heavily, lying around a lot, for over a month. We feed her $60 a bag dog food and give her $2 a day medications. She keeps on keepin' on. Then she suddenly dies in her sleep early last month. We bury Bandit with Charlie's ashes (yes, Charlie was cremated - we were moving out of state and wanted to take him with us. He died just 2 weeks before the move). Bandit was almost 8. I never thought I'd lose her first. Rusty has always been the sickly one. Rusty is better now but is showing signs of early aging. Two dogs. I will NEVER get another dog! I can't stand it when they die. I AM NOT A DOG PERSON! NO MORE DOGS! Well ... except for that American Eskimo dog that walked up our drive day before yesterday. Hungry, thirsty, dirty, footsore ... lost (a polite euphemism for "dumped"). Well, we won't name him, in case someone claims him after all. Well, he's going to think his name is "dog". OK. I dub thee "MacBeth". ALRIGHT ALREADY! THREE DOGS AGAIN! But that DOESN'T MAKE ME A DOG PERSON! Just remember the $3000+ I spent on Rusty. Free stray pets are NOT cheap critters! And its not just emergency surgery. There's always the routine checkups. Office visit
Depending on where you live the above is going to run something over
Geez, I'm glad I'm not a dog person! It's expensive enough as it is! --
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