Gotcha

Today is Scout’s Gotcha Day anniversary. 3 years of love with my mama dog.

When we went to the shelter on “Clear the Shelter Day” (just to look) we had no idea we’d come home that night with her. I said I wasn’t getting a dog that day. Eric knew better.

The boys wanted a ginormous Dalmatian that A) was known to jump over walls and B) was not a fan of Dobby. That was a hard pass. I wanted a larger dog and, honestly, I was looking to fill the void of Anthony being away at school. I was looking for comfort.

The shelter employee listened to us and said, “Well we have an older dog. She’s been here a while. I don’t think she was taken care of. She’s been bitten by flies. She’s kind of shy. She just needs a loving home. Do you want to meet her?” Yeah, it was love at first sight.

She’s afraid of loud noises, especially fireworks. Like petrified, barrel down a door scared. She’s also not a fan of fly swatters. If we’d let her she’d gladly live in the pantry or a closet – with the door shut behind her. Outside, she prefers to hide under the bushes. Inside, she hangs out in the tiny alcove between Eric’s office and the garage door. If she can, she’ll sneak upstairs and hide in my closet under the hanging clothes or try to get under his desk. The smaller, darker, more secluded the better.

At 13, she’s developed doggy dementia; she randomly barks at the wall. She also doesn’t like when Charlie looks at her. He knows she hates it. He does it anyway. #asshole His favorite game is to watch her while she’s eating. She barks with her snout deep into the bowl sending kibbles flying. It would be funny if it weren’t so damn loud.

She’s really struggling lately. Her legs aren’t working like they used to and she really has to think about standing up. It’s a process. She gets so excited when she sees the leash but a walk means to the end of the driveway, rest, and then back into the house. Gd forbid she actually sneaks upstairs. Getting her back down is an ordeal unto itself.

And OMG THE HAIR! I had no idea a dog could shed so much and ALL YEAR! She’s a lot grayer now. But aren’t we all?

She doesn’t come up and nuzzle like she used to; you have to go to her. But that’s ok. I talk to her and scratch her head every time I go to the bathroom. Maybe that’s why she’s decided to make the alcove her personal spot.

I know my time with her is limited and when the day comes when I have to say goodbye, I will be devastated. I hope we’ve filled her golden years with love & comfort because that’s what she’s given us.

Off to give my Scouter extra cookies and nuzzles & tell her how much she means to me.

Finding Dobby

My children have a knack for “finding” things.  Justin dragged a filthy hubcap home from a walk.  We have a street sign, too.  The tweedles once brought home a toilet. Don’t ask.

And, of course, the animals.  Common yard lizards.  A giant turtle the pet store was going to throw away.  A bearded dragon in the recycling.  And dogs.  Yes plural… dogS.

The first one was Fontana, the porch dog.  “He just followed us home.” Neutra wanted nothing to do with him, so on the front porch he lived… for about a week until he either ran away or some kindhearted person rescued him.

Not long after the week with Fontana, this happened.

“Mom we’re bringing home a dog.”

Wait, what?

“She was tied to a tree at the park (with a sign that said FREE), we couldn’t just LEAVE her there, could we!?”

Well…

That was seven years ago today.  Seven years with Dobby, our first HOUSE dog, hence her name.  Prior to Dobs, dogs lived OUTSIDE. Because… dogs.  Wylie, Corbu, Neutra, Harley.  Dogs were also not little.  For better or worse – Dobby changed it all.

In 2014 we came home to her missing – hysterically checking the pool to make sure she hadn’t fallen in and drowned – hearing from a neighbor she’d been hit by a car – checking the internet and seeing her jailed, leg in a cast – trapped at the shelter until they reopened DAYS later – ugly crying picking her up – surgery to repair the leg and hip – and then back to normal as if it was all just some horrible dream.

She wasn’t the last dog they brought home.  “Mom, I got a dog.”  I thought Aaron was kidding.  When will I learn?  And then, of course, bringing Anthony back home last year meant adding Charlie to the mix, too.

Before Luna, she was Eric’s dog. His bird hunting (and occasionally catching), adventure seeking, carpool copilot.

Now, Dobby’s more like me.  Middle aged.  A bit bigger in the butt than she used to be.  Yeah we can go on an adventure OR we could sit in the recliner and nap rather than “be productive”.  She’s my armrest dog.  And like me, she puts up with this shit…

Although, we’re both not sure why.

Our Ninja Turtle is gone

Last night I got this text from J…

Oh Gamera, you led a long and storied life.  You came into our family in February 2013 when the boys went to the reptile store to get pinkies for Anthony’s snake and the guy “just gave him to you”.

“My children brought home another turtle. MUCH larger than the Chinatown turtles. Not sure what their father was thinking. Oh, that’s right, he had no idea what was in the box.” 2/19/13 6:52pm

Then there were the frantic weeks/months of our own personal ninja turtle and your mad escape skills.

Before leaving for a camping trip, Eric SWORE the turtle could not get out of the kiddie pool (because EVERYONE has a kiddie pool living IN their house)…

Not only can the giant ass turtle climb, it also moves way faster than I thought they could and it HISSES! Relocated to boys’ tub until they return from camping and escape-proof its pool! If it can get out of the tub I’m checking myself into a hotel for the weekend. Kind of hard to get the image of a huge turtle wandering across your bedroom floor out of your mind. 2/23/13 10:33am [photo and comments]

 

Mega turtle has gone rogue. He’s using his mad ninja skills to evade capture. File this one under “you’d have to be a male Herchenroeder to think having an escaping turtle living in the house is anything less than insane” as I seem to be the only one concerned by this development.3/12/13 6:10pm

Favorite spots? The top of the couch, under the treadmill, my bedroom floor…

Here turtle turtle turtle… 3/30/13 3:40pm

 

For those keeping track of these things, the turtle has gone AWOL, again. Not sure I blame him. 5/6/13 10:37pm

And a year later, it was STILL happening!

Guess who forgot to put their turtle away before leaving for vacation? Thanks a lot Justin & Aaron Gamera is looking for you guys… IN MY BEDROOM! 6/16/14 3:54pm [photo and comments]

Now Justin… why on Earth would we need to look at the turtle when we got home? What were we going to do? Bring it back to life? I have mean skills but even I can’t do that.  Did he dispose of the turtle? Nooooo. It was still there in his room when we got home after midnight.

“What should I do with her?” Ummm I don’t know… GET HER DEAD CARCASS OUT OF YOUR ROOM?

Not sure if there will be a memorial service, or what one wears to such an event.  I’m just hoping the situation is resolved by the time I get home and nothing new is living in the tank by then.

No more animals. No. Just no. Well maybe.