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Barry
 Born to a feral
mother and the runt of the litter Barry was smaller than
the palm of your hand. Handicapped from birth with a club
foot and suffering from extreme malnutrition and
dehydration, he couldn't even lift his head. His skin was
red from dehydration which was clearly evident because he
had no hair. An infection is his elbow made it painful to
walk and when he did he dragged his club foot behind him.
And if that wasn't enough, he had a terrible cold. We
started him on antibiotics, fluids and physical therapy
twice a day. It is truly a miracle that this tiny kitten
survived. Today he is the picture of health. (although he
is only half the size he should be). He runs and plays
just like any other kitty. His hair has grown in and the
only indication that he was ever handicapped at all is
his bow leg. Things were touch and go for a while there
but thanks to the wonderful people like you who support
AniMeals, Barry is living happily ever
after.
Sweet Alley
The tiny
kitten was fighting for her life and losing. She lay on the
cold hard ground in freezing temperatures, critically ill and
starving. Her little ears were full of mites, she had an eye
infection and an upper respiratory infection that was so bad
she could hardly breathe. She was a dirty little ball of fur
hovering between life and death.
Alley and five
other kittens were rescued one evening by a woman who knew that
time was of the essence. She knew the odds were against these
babies surviving even one more day, and she was determined to
save their lives. You see, someone was poisoning the homeless
cats and kittens in the trailer park with
anti-freeze.
When our
friend arrived on the scene with her cat carrier in hand she
was set upon by three other women who were also very
determined.... they wanted the kittens dead. Their guardian
angel wanted them alive and she was willing to fight for them.
And she did. How she managed to scoop up six kittens while
fending off blows from three angry women will forever remain a
mystery.
Two of the
kittens were gravely ill and the vet wasn't optimistic, but
with the tender loving care of their foster mom they were soon
on the road to recovery.
Alley's story is a true
rags to riches story. She began her life as a sick and starving
homeless kitten living under a trailer house in Missoula
Montana. Now she lives in the lap of luxury under the bright
lights of Washington DC with her new family who owns three
houses and an airplane.
It was touch
and go for awhile there, but thanks to the wonderful people
like you who support AniMeals, Alley is living happily ever
after.
Vic
My
name is Vic. My family moved and forgot to take me with
them. ( I have heard that this type of thing happens a
lot.) 
One of
the neighbors watched my family drive away without me and
came looking for me. She took me to the nice people at the
Animal Control where they gave me lots of love and
affection, but life at the shelter was scary for me, so I
hid under my blankets at the back of my cage. No one could
see what a handsome boy I am; so I never got adopted. Then
something wonderful happened... I came to AniMeals. It
took me a long time to learn to trust people again because
I was sure that if I gave my heart away, they might leave
me too (that hurts so bad). But I can tell that this is
going to be my forever home. I have my very own office, a
nice snuggly house that I feel very safe in, lots of good
food, and most of all, I have
love.
Peaches
I thought I was a
good kitty. I couldn't believe it when they put me in the
car, drove to the outskirts of town, and dropped me off
in a junk yard. It was  pretty scary being left all alone. I was very
hungry and the only thing I had to eat was grasshoppers...
was glad when it rained so I could get a drink from the
mud puddle. I crawled into one of the old abandoned cars
to have my kittens but I was so skinny I could
barely produce any milk. Things weren't looking very good
for us. Then one day a nice man looked in the window of
the car and found us! He bundled us all up, took us to his
office and called AniMeals. I was so happy I just purred
and purred.... Today I have my very own bed (even though I
sleep anywhere I want to) and my food dish is always full.
I love my new forever family very much and I tell them so
every day. Things were touch and go for a while there, but
thanks to the wonderful people like you who support
AniMeals, I am living happily ever
after.
Lola
My name is Lola. I was living with my family,
and for some reason they decided they didn't want me
anymore. I am not sure why because I'm a really good
girl. They took me to Missoula Animal Control and drove
away without me. The nice people there called AniMeals
and asked them if they could find a foster home for me.
That’s when I met my friend Stacy who works for AniMeals.
She came and picked me up, spoke softly in my ear, and
told me not to worry. She said she knew some wonderful
people who take  unwanted dogs like me and care for us until we
can find our forever homes. AniMeals put my picture in the
newspaper where my new family saw me and took me home!!!
It didn’t take long for me to settle right in and I am
very happy here. I have a new brother and sister, Misty
and Deuce and they welcomed me with open ... um ...paws.
We have lots of good food to eat and cold water to drink.
We have three cookie jars, one for regular cookies, one
for bedtime treats and one for “go away” treats when my
new mom and dad have to leave us at home by ourselves for
a little while. I sleep in the bedroom or wherever I want
in the house at night. I have lots of nice nap spots and
Misty and Deuce are very good about sharing their favorite
spots with me. Misty is a very cool dog because she only
has one front leg and one eye, but she doesn’t know
anything is wrong with her and she hops around with me so
we have lots of fun together. Deuce is a terrier, but he
can’t help it and Misty and I call him our “NAL (Not a
Labrador) Pal”. So that’s my story. I am very lucky to
have such good friends at AniMeals and I want them to know
that I love them for saving me and taking care of me while
I was looking for a new home. I think everyone should help
AniMeals because they do such nice things for dogs like me
and they give food to dogs and cats that don’t have enough
to eat. I’m going to live happily ever after with my new
family. They love me and I love them and we are all very
happy that we found each other. Love, Lola
Charlie
He has taught us some important lessons, I
think. Charlie is a blue and
gold macaw, and Becky Jo hatched him from an egg
fourteen years ago. He'd survived the first attack by
raccoons on her exotic birds, and she'd doubled the
bird-wire on the bottom of the cages, so it couldn't
happen again, but it did. This time they must have worked
as a team, one spooking the birds from beneath the
suspended cages, and one lying in wait on the top, where
the wire hadn't been doubled. A yellow-headed Amazon had
been killed right away, grabbed through the wire by his
feet, as he clung in fright upside-down. He'd gone into
shock with the loss of a leg, and it was over. It wasn't
that easy for Charlie though. He, too, lost a leg and a
couple of toes on the remaining foot, but fell to the
bottom of the cage and was still alive when Becky Jo
found him. He'd been so traumatized by the ordeal that he
was barely clinging to life, and she spent hours
comforting him before she judged he was able to tolerate
the trip to the vet's office. Charlie's leg-band had
saved his life. He might have bled to death had it not
served as a kind of tourniquet. When the raccoon had
pulled Charlie's left leg through the bird-wire, the band
closed-off the blood vessels in what was left of the
thigh. The nearest veterinarian advertised that she
worked on birds, and this seemed to be a simple matter of
repairing or removing what remained of the leg, but after
collecting her $25. fee for the office visit, she
referred Charlie to the 'exotic bird specialist' some
fifty miles away. The second vet told Becky Jo that
Charlie was a waste of time and money, that he should be
put-down, that even if he survived the operation, he'd be
a worthless, expensive burden, unable to perch or to feed
himself. Becky Jo wanted a second opinion, and she got it
from Charlie. She looked into his chameleon-like eyes and
asked him if he'd rather live as an invalid or be put to
sleep, and he squawked ever so loudly, "I want to live!"
He may not have used those exact words, but she knew
that's what he meant. Six-hundred dollars later, Charlie
was ready to go home. He'd lost a bit of weight, but his
spirit was still strong, and that night, he proudly stood
on his crippled foot, the one he had left, and ate and
drank all by himself.
The 'exotic bird specialist' had given Becky Jo instructions
for dealing with the stitches. If he was still alive at the end
of ten days, she was to take Charlie back to the first vet, the
one nearest home, for removal of the stitches, but we already
had a good idea of what that was about. The two animal-care
facilities seemed to be in cahoots for collecting fees, and
both of us had plenty of hands-on experience in doctoring
critters. We were also on the road, doing concerts, and Charlie
needed special attention, so he went with us. When the time
came for removing the stitches, we were in rural New Mexico,
many miles from professional help, so the hood of the Nissan
became the operating table on a sunny day in February. The vet
had removed Charlie's breast feathers, and the tape that held
the bandage in place was secured to the skin, so it had to be
removed very carefully, not an easy task. The worst part of the
chore turned out to be the odor. We knew right away that
something was dreadfully wrong. As the tape was pealed back
from his crop, we could see a gaping hole with putrid flesh. He
had developed gangrene. We quietly reapplied a fresh bandage
and drove in great haste to Arizona, where our manager knew of
a good vet, not an exotic bird specialist, but a decent, honest
care-giver. Nobody had noticed the injury to the crop, and it
hadn't been treated at all, so it had slowly become worse under
the cover of the bandage. The antibiotics had helped a bit, but
as the severity of the damaged tissue grew, the immune system
was overwhelmed, and Charlie was at death's door. The Arizona
vet did the best she could, under the circumstances, but
Charlie's prognosis wasn't very promising. The hole in the crop
was still there. The decaying flesh had been removed, but there
was no way to close the gap.
On the long drive back to California, Charlie rode between us
in the front seat. He was very weak, but he still had an
appetite, and he was drinking quite often. Then we noticed that
the towels that Becky Jo had placed under him were wet, soaked
in fact, and we discovered the cause. Every time Charlie took a
drink of water, most of it came out the hole in his crop. He
was drinking, but he was still thirsty. He was also having
trouble, it seemed, drawing the water into his mouth. I
reasoned that he couldn't get enough suction because of the
hole in his crop, but there was little, if anything, we could
do to help. Then he did the most amazing thing. I was driving
as Becky Jo gave me a play-by-play description. He broke a
peanut shell in half, trimmed the loose fibers from around the
shell, and dipped the half-shell into the water dish, filling
both depressions in the shell, then raised the shell until the
water poured into his open mouth. He kept doing this, over and
over again. Much of the water was escaping throught the crop
injury, but he was finally getting enough water in his system.
That was the best use of tools I think I ever saw. Charlie's
still at it, still making all the concert appointments with us.
He seems to like being on the road, especially when Becky Jo
cuddles with him. He watches the scenery, ducks when we drive
beneath overpasses, and is wary of overhead utility wires. His
crop has healed itself, from the inside out. He still makes use
of a peanut shell dipper, but now only when the water gets low
in his bowl. He's gotten used to Vecca the dog's being around,
no longer sees her as another troublesome raccoon, and nowadays
only squawks when her tail whips past his cage in the backseat.
Every once in a while, I can't help but ask Charlie if he's
changed his mind about wanting to live. I know all of it is
difficult for him, and one might assume there comes a point
when it's just not worth the effort. He says it all with his
eyes, as he stands tall on his single leg. 'I'm still here,
still with the program, Don't believe everything those vets
tell you.
Story contributed by Randy Sparks, founder of the New Christy
Minstrels with permission of Cherrybell Music - Randy Sparks
and Becky Jo Bensen travel extensively countrywide making
concert appearances....Charlie goes everywhere they
go.
Parker
In late September we
welcomed little "Parker" into the AniMeals foster network
while at a fund raising event late September
2006. Someone found her in a dumpster the day before. She arrived hungry
and dehydrated...Luckily for her, we were collecting food
that day. We all jumped at the chance to open a can of
recently donated kitten food and scurried to find
something for her to drink from. She gobbled the food up
in no time and her cries for help soon waned. She finally
settled down into the arms of one of our faithful
volunteers, who agreed to nurse the kitten back to health
until fit for adoption. Four months later, we found her
forever home. "Parker" now lives happily ever after with
her new family and her new best friend "Dusty," a golden
retriever.
Kenai
Kenai was adopted from our foster network in
March. Many thanks to Deb Skogen for fostering this
wonderful boy until he was adopted. The following is a
letter from Kenai's new, forever mom. Linda adopted Kenai
and has since changed his name to Jack.
Dear AniMeals, We would like to make Jack's adoption
official. He is just the MOST wonderful dog and fits into
our family so perfectly. It is like he was just meant to
be with us. Thank you so VERY much for making this
possible. He loves going to work with me everyday and
greeting everyone who he thinks comes in just to see him.
When he comes home, he and Elle run through the yard
playing with each other for about a half an hour. This
weekend he will get his first trip to our cabin. He's gone
to the dog park and the dog wash, and he's been so good on
and off a leash, I'll tell you, he's really a perfect dog!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
Linda
Morfar
When I was at the animal shelter, everyone
called me Malcom. Maybe you saw my picture. I was pretty
famous. My new name is Morfar. It means Grandpa in
Swedish. My new human likes to hug me. I like it too, but
I like cookies better. The doctor said I need to gain 5
pounds. This was the best news I ever heard. My
home and my human and my new animal friends love
me. I have many toys and 5 beds. We go for walks all the
time. This week I get to go to the store and pick out my
own collar. I am very happy now that I can stay somewhere
for a long time.
Budda
A HURRICANE KATRINA
HAPPY ENDING
My name is Budda and I
survived Hurricane Katrina. I was living in New Orleans.
My family had to leave the city and like all the other
animals, I was left alone to fend for myself. Some of us
were locked in bathrooms, some were tied to trees or
fences, and some of us were put outside to survive as
best as we could. No one meant to harm us. Many wanted to
take us with them, but couldn’t. Everyone believed they
would be back in a few hours or days. They would come
back and get us. This is what every one believed. Even
me. This is my story. After the Hurricane, I became lost.
I couldn’t find food, all the water was dirty, and there
was no one left in the city. Iived under any shelter I
could find and wandered the streets looking for something
to eat. When people came I hid. After 6 weeks I began to
die. I was too sick to run anymore. I let someone lift
 me from the dirt and take me away. For weeks I
was placed in a kennel a few feet from the volunteer
veterinarians at the Humane Society of the United States
Lamar/Dixon rescue center. They needed to be able to see
me at all times. I was scared, but too weak to care. I
could barely lift my head. One afternoon a volunteer came
and scratched my ears. She talked to me for a long time.
She
kept coming back in between my rests. After a few weeks, the
shelter closed and all the animals were moved to other cities
and towns all over the US. The goal was to find homes until our
families were resettled and could find us. But there wasn't
much hope. Our humans had nowhere to live. My new friend took
me with her to the Best Friends, Tyler Town rescue in
Mississippi. When we arrived she set up a tent and I stayed
there with her for three days. On the third day the people at
Best Friends took my picture, gave me a number, and used my new
name to post on the national Petfinder website. My friend had
given me the name Jesus, because if you said HSUS out loud,
that’s what it sounded like. On the day she said goodbye, she
cried. I followed her along the fence line as she left Best
Friends for Montana. I hoped that one day I would see her
again.My name is Stacy Russell. I was the volunteer that became
friends with Jesus. He was a beautiful Shepard cross. Cream
colored with anxious, but soft brown eyes. He was very
affectionate, but uncertain of people. While in Mississippi, he
bit me several times and I was very concerned about his chances
for adoption. I  knew he was in the best possible place, but it
was still devastating to leave him. I returned to Montana
and followed his progress. After several months he was
placed the New Jersey 11th Hour Rescue. It was luck that I
found him as his number and name had been changed. I
called the shelter and spoke to their veterinarian, Dr.
Dashfield who told me they had not yet found a foster home
for him. I asked if it was possible to fly him to Montana
to be with me, but the answer was a firm, we do not fly
animals.' I spent the next many months worrying and
wondering about his future. After I started working at
AniMeals in Jan. 2007 I contacted the rescue again about
the possibility of bringing him to Missoula, this time
armed with better resources. When Dr. Dashfield returned
my call she had heart stopping news; after 1 year and 6
months, Jesus’s family had located him. They were living
in Maryland and were coming to bring him home. A few hours
later I received photos of their reunion. Jesus, after all
this time, had changed so much I hardly recognized him. He
had gained weight, his hair had grown out and the fear and
worry in his eyes had been replace by pure joy. He was
beautiful. And he was home.
Less than 25% of the
survivors rescued after Hurricane Katrina and Rita were
reunited with their families. Most have
been adopted, fostered, or are living at rescues such as Best
Friends. The enormous, heart breaking losses will
never
be forgotten, yet the few happy tales remind us of why we all
do what we do to keep the creatures of this earth
safe
from harm. We can only hope that one day, we will all be out of
a job.
Dino
Shelter Dogs Can Be
Heroes
By Elaine Sehnert
Some people might say that a shelter dog can’t be anything
special, as in “If he’s so special, what’s he doing in a
shelter?”
Some people might say that only a purebred dog has the
qualities needed to be a hero; after all, they’re bred
specifically to enhance their good qualities, while other dogs
get their character traits accidentally or simply by
chance.
Some people might say that only a dog that someone raised from
a pup would have the loyalty and love needed to risk its
life for its special person, as in “Oh, we want to adopt a
puppy; you never know what you’re going to get in an adult
dog.”
Some people might say these things, but they would certainly
get an argument on all counts from David Wakeman of
Albuquerque, New Mexico. He adopted Dino, a four-year-old
Shepherd/Hound X, from the Animal Control Shelter in Missoula,
and he’s more than happy to tell anyone how Dino saved his
life.
Dino came to the shelter as a stray on July 12, 2006. He was
seen wandering on Highway 200 east of Missoula by a local
animal lover, and she rescued him from traffic and took him
home while trying to find his owner. He was thin and dusty, but
he was a happy dog with a great personality. When no owner
could be located, she brought the dog to the shelter,
mentioning that she had been calling him Dino. That sounded
like a good name to the shelter staff, so he remained Dino for
the month he was at the shelter waiting to be adopted. It took
that long for a truck driver from New Mexico to stop at the
shelter to see if he could find a traveling companion. He
thought Dino looked like a perfect truck dog, and Dino thought
that kind of life sounded just about perfect to him.
They bonded during their travels together, and then something
totally unexpected happened. While taking a break at a rest
stop near the Wyoming/Montana border, Wakeman and Dino were
walking by a fence surrounding the facility’s trash cans.
Wakeman was surprised when Dino suddenly lunged toward his leg,
causing him to jump back. It was only then that he saw the
rattlesnake that Dino had already spotted as it readied itself
to strike at Wakeman’s leg. Dino’s reaction kept Wakeman from
being bitten, but the snake then turned on the dog and struck
twice more before Dino caught the snake’s head in his mouth and
killed it. Dino had been bitten twice – once in the jaw and
once on the neck – and Wakeman knew he’d need medical attention
as soon as possible. He managed to get a Highway Patrol escort
into Billings, Montana, and with lights flashing and sirens
screaming, Dino was delivered to the closest veterinary clinic.
When Wakeman lifted Dino out of the cab of the truck, the dog
was unconscious and completely stiff. The first suggestion of
the clinic staff was compassionate euthanasia; they knew he was
suffering and they weren’t at all sure he could be saved.
Wakeman wasn’t having any of that; he explained that this dog
had saved his life, and he wanted everything possible to be
done to return the favor. Dino was taken into the clinic and
treatment was begun. Four days and $1,700 later, Dino was on
the road to recovery. He was still weak, and he wouldn’t gain
his strength back for some time, but he was definitely alive
and well. On January 10, Wakeman and Dino happened to be
traveling through Missoula again. They stopped by the shelter
for a visit, and the shelter staff could hardly believe that
this sturdy, almost hefty, dog was the same one who had come to
the shelter thin and dusty six months before. They were even
more amazed to find out that he’d been close to death in
between. What didn’t surprise them was that his personality was
just as happy and friendly as ever.
So – how good are shelter dogs? If you ask David
Wakeman, he’ll say his shelter dog is the best in the
world.
Owen
My name is Owen Gray. I have had other names but
I like this one best. I was homeless when someone found
me and took me to the animal shelter. I lived there a
long time because nobody ever wanted to take me home.
I was sad when people passed by me
without giving me a chance.There were other black dogs too and
we were all scared that we wouldn't find humans that would love
us. Then one day my time was up. I had been there too long. I
was lucky though. AniMeals rescued me and promised to find me a
home. They hugged me and kissed me and told me not to worry.
They kept their promise and soon I went to a new house. I was
scared again but after I peed on the door and they didn't get
mad I felt okay. There were other dogs and cats to play with.
There were a lot of beds and couches to sleep on and so many
cookies it made my head spin. I got a warm bath and my hair
brushed and they told me I was beautiful. My new mom and dad
got me a collar and some jewelry with my name and address and I
knew that I would never have to go anywhere else again.
AniMeals helps all of us find our special people. Next time you
are looking for a best friend stop and say hello to each of
us...no matter what color we are. Give us a chance. I am now a
happy dog who will always be safe and loved because AniMeals
and people like you choose to be
colorblind.
Cassie
Cassie was turned in to the Missoula Humane
Society when her family moved and the new landlord didn’t
allow pets. That twist of fate was probably the best
thing that had happened to her in a very long time as she
was in dire need of medical attention.Her little ears
were both so infected you could smell them from a
distance. She had a bladder infection, was anemic,
and allergic to the food she was being fed. The skin on
and around her ears was leathery and crusted with yeast.
It looked like cornmeal. She had a huge amount of hair
loss on her ears, throat and face…and it hurt to go potty.
She was not in good shape. I happened to be volunteering
at the spay/neuter clinic the week she was surrendered. Of
course I didn’t stand a chance when she looked up at me
with those big brown eyes… and a tail that wagged her
whole body. At nine years old she had never been spayed,
so that was our first order of business…then a trip to the
vet. She is currently on two powerful antibiotics for the
infections, something to settle her tummy (the antibiotics
are hard on her), an iron supplement for the anemia, and a
dog food formulated from fish and potatoes. We work on her
ears every morning and every night, cleaning and
medicating them. She sits very still and takes all of her
medicine twice a day, even though she doesn’t enjoy it.
She’s such a good girl! I believe the chronic ear
infections have damaged her hearing. She can hear, but she
doesn’t seem to know where the source of the sound is
coming from. She stays very close by my side and if she
gets a few steps in front of me she will turn around to
make sure I am still there. This little girl has totally
captured my heart.
Lily
Lily’s family moved in February and forgot to
take her with them. It was cold and she was confused. I
had seen her around the office for about two weeks,
hiding under bushes and cars. She never let anyone get
close to her. If you tried to approach her she would run.
Soon the bitter cold and her empty tummy got to be too
much for her and she came to our office door begging for
food. We brought her in and opened a can of food, which
she devoured. She wasn’t sure about all these new faces
and she certainly wasn’t happy about being in a strange
place.  But for right now, she was warm and her tummy
was full. After a quick survey of her surroundings she was
ready to brave the cold and go back outside to look for
her family. She just knew they were coming back for her.
She tried to explain to us in great detail that she had to
be on the porch when they returned…. I took her home to
live with me next to open meadows and a babbling brook.
Paradise for a cat. We named her "Lily", and she's a
beauty. She spent most of her day outside in the field
catching butterflies and mice. She loved her new life. On
a hot night in July she was out hunting under a full moon,
unaware that an old, ostracized alpha male coyote was
waiting next to the pump handle in the neighbors yard. It
seemed he too understood that this was a very good place
to get a meal. He had been sitting out there catching
voles and mice for about a week. It's hard to survive on
your own with no pack to help with the evening meal. When
the coyote attacked, Lily managed to wrench herself out of
his jaws escaping with her life. She was badly injured on
her hind quarters but was able to make it home. After a
trip to the emergency room and many weeks of convalescing,
she has made a full recovery. It was a long and painful
journey. She never leaves the safety of her yard now (she
has two dogs for protection) and is always in by
nightfall.
Willie Red
Fox
Willie Red Fox is a young foxy-looking fellow
who came into my life in a very cosmic way. The story
goes that a friend of mine came to me to help her search
www.petfinder.com for the purr-fect kitty to complete her
family. In the midst of this search, I found myself
looking at the profile of this dear boy, Willie Red Fox.
I have to admit it was the serious look on his face and
the wing-span of those lovely ears that caught me off
guard and melted my cat-loving heart. You see, I had
never had a dog before and I didn’t know Ineeded one.
Yet, somehow I knew that this fur-baby was mine. I
instantly emailed the TLC Animal Shelter in rural Newell,
IA (they are the only shelter in 4 counties), and
inquired about Willie. Pauline Larsen, the ultimate
Shelter Mother and extraordinary champion in rural animal
rescue, emailed me back and gave me Willie’s story.
Willie had been abandoned and was living on the streets
during the inter months of late 2004. He lived in
make-shift shelters and ate what he could where he could
find it, sadly mostly from garbage cans.  He had been sited by a number of people who had
reported seeing a red fox around their farms and
outbuildings. By the time Willie was captured in late
January 2005, he had been shot up with buck-shot and was
frightened, hungry and scrawny. He was brought to TLC.
Pauline and her staff of volunteers got to work to save
his life and eventually rehabilitate him. My first email
to the shelter was during the first week of February 2005.
Over the next two months Willie learned how to be a dog
again. He received food and love and toys and eventually
learned how to play with other dogs. And thanks to a very
special 7th grade boy who volunteers at TLC everyday after
school, Willie learned how to walk on a leash. By Easter,
Willie Red Fox was ready for his Forever Family to come
for him.On that snowy spring day, two days before Easter,
we drove 5 ½ hours southwest of our home in St. Paul, MN
to pick up our boy. The moment we drove up to the tiny
shelter on Pauline’s big, flat, prairie farm and saw our
boy, we knew that the waiting and the drive were worth it.
After much belly scratching, toy tossing and a little
paperwork, Willie jumped in our pickup truck, curled
himself up on a spot between us, put his chin on my leg
and just sighed. We drove down the road with those big red
ears bobbing like radar dishes. In the year since Willie
has been home, he has discovered many favorite new things
like long walks in the city, the amazing Sister Joan's
Peanut Butter dog treats, my nephews, cheese stuffed
Kongs, squeaker toys, and a fenced-in yard. And last June
Willie took his first road trip to Montana. We drove 2700
miles in ten days and Willie Red Fox enjoyed every last
minute of it. His favorite vacation activity, aside from a
few beautiful sunny days up Rock Creek with Uncle Mike,
was running down the steep trail from a friend’s cabin to
the shore of Echo Lake…and then back up to the cabin
again…up and down, up and down…Willie Red Fox just might
just be a little mountain dog
afterall…
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