Rosie

^ Runaway ^

"Hello, my name is Rosie and I am a 1 year old Lab/Rottie mix. I get along great with dogs and cats. I love apples. I know my basic commands and listen well. I prefer a fenced in yard as I like to run around, but will settle down after awhile. Please let me be part of your forever family."

That was how the Petfinder ad read, and this was the picture that was posted.

After having our dog Mouse for 13 years, she developed a large tumor in her neck and had to be euthanized. Roxie was now an only dog, and like Mouse, she didn't take to it too well. We loved Mouse very much and it took us awhile before we were ready for another dog. But when the time came, we went back to the shelter where we had adopted Roxie. We found a sweet male pup, brought him home and he was christened Runaway.




He was a cute, lively pup the first day we had him, but the next day his personality took a 180 and all he did was lay around. It was Veteran's day weekend and most of the Vets that were on the shelters free health screening list I received were closed for the holiday. I did find one open finally and took him there. The vet diagonosed Parvo. It broke my heart, but I had to take him back to the shelter. Trouble was the shelter was closed. I went to the Sheriff's office next door to see if they could contact the dog warden. (I did not want to risk taking Runway back home and infecting Roxie.) But he was out on a dog bite run. Reluctantly, I took the poor pup back to the house and put him in a crate in the basement. The next morning, he had passed away. I loaded his body into my truck and returned to the shelter and got a refund.
The Vet said I needed to bleach everything that the pup had touched that couldn't be thrown away as Parvo can be both highly contagious and deadly. He told me that a hard freeze would kill the virus in the yard and to keep Roxie on leash when she went out until we got that freeze.

As my luck would have it, that was the week hubby fell off the roof and broke his heel. He would be laid up for at least six months and have to spend a boring winter indoors. I didn't think I could handle having to care for him and a new dog, so I thought a new family member was off the itinerary until spring at least. But Fate had other ideas......

Next - Rosie part 2