Monday, February 21, 2011

Mrs. Oh and Elvis the Dog aka Pete

The story you are about to read is pure fiction and this blog post will self-destruct in 15 seconds.

On Sunday while camping in a secret part of the southern United States we decided to explore the area. We were actually forced to explore as there as signs throughout the Ocala National Forest telling us there are many recreational things to do. So we did.

We saw a sign for a dam and we dam well went there and can you believe they were dam well closed. And across from the closed dam was a sign for another recreation area that turned out to be a boat launch. But while we were looking for this area - down a sandy, dirt road I might add, I spied a puppy sitting in the fork of a road. I called out to Tobey that I saw a dog and that there was something wrong with it as it had a bunch of stuff around its neck - for I had never seen a hunting dog all trussed up in his hunting attire.

Tobey backed the van up as I unrolled the window and called out to the pup. He stood up and sort of approached the van but then shied away. After seeing how starved he appeared I coaxed him over with the only food we had in the car: marshmallows. And he ate them voraciously. The things around his neck? A heavy duty collar and a GPS tracking device. I tried to get close to the dog but he kept backing away and it was obvious he was waiting to be picked up. So we left him waiting in the middle of the road hoping that someone was on their way back to him.

We then went back to the closed dam and notified the ranger there of an emaciated pup with a tracking collar just up the road. The rangers told us that was the norm for these here parts. That unless the dog was uncollared there wasn't much they could do and that if they interfered the owners would yell at anyone for getting their dogs off the scent of the hunt. And despite them agreeing in the condition of these 'hunting' dogs being emaciated and all - their owners would claim they are just athletes. The rangers said that some good old boys should be on their way to pick the dog up shortly. So again we left.

Back at our campsite I worried about that poor pup. Tobey worried not. And thanks to an anonymous commenter I came up with: what if this is what God wants me to do today. What if He wants me to save this dog. Even the God argument didn't win Tobey over to my dark side. I offered to go feed the pup some left over hot dogs and at least today he got fed - because it was evident whoever owned him was not feeding him properly. Tobey final agreed.

We headed back to the little dirt road and saw the pup and there was also a pick-up truck. Thank goodness the owner returned....that slimeball who is obviously abusing this dog. His ribs are showing! Athlete my foot! Tobey slowed the van down as I unrolled the window. The old man in the truck was putting a small dish of water out for the dog. Well that doesn't make much sense. And the old man was surrounded by at least 6 other dogs in a variety of breeds from a Pug to a Lab. I asked the man if he owned the dog and he said no, that he had been coming out there for 6 weeks feeding it and trying to catch him.

At that point I jumped out with my hot dogs and the chase was on. While feeding hot dogs to all the dogs and trying to lasso the left behind dog the old man told us about hunting dogs in that area. He said that he hikes the woods a lot and that pretty soon this dog would be bear food if someone didn't catch him. He also said that hunting dogs being left behind by their uncaring owners was more the norm and that the pup would be better off being put down than being returned to his owner. And then he said that Ocala tends to put dogs down just as fast as they get them in.

What a lovely picture. Regardless of all that the old man tried to call the owner who's name was on the collar. The number had been disconnected. And then after chasing the dog around and being down to my last chunk of weiner - the dog jumped up in the back of the old man's truck! The old man then said he wished he could keep the dog but he couldn't because he already had too many.

Tobey being the voice of reason stated that we couldn't keep him either because he belonged to someone else what with having a collar and GPS thingamado. Then magically something happened and the collar and GPS collar were gone and the pup was in the van on his way back to the campground where he promptly was fed and bathed.

Initially Barbie said she would take the dog we first named Pete. Now she has changed her mind and Pete Elvis is laying at my bedroom door. Suposedly he is going to get adopted out once we fatten him up and pay the vet bills from today. I think if we pay vet bills = we keep dog but I am in the minority on that one right now. Time will tell. I'm hoping his sweet demeanor will win Tobey over. I am doubtful but hopeful.

And why the name change from Pete to Elvis? Because this poor one testicled dog is humping everything in sight. When I called him Elvis Barbie asked if I changed it because of the whole thrusting pelvis thing - which is so appropriate! But I rather thought Elvis was fitting because this dog ain't nuttin' but a horn dog....

~ame

3 comments:

What a sweetheart you are. You are becoming a one woman rescue squad!

We have a terrible time with hunting dogs being...forgotten her in Virginia too. The shelters are full of them. Theya re trying to get laws passed to stop this throw away dog society mentality but it's tough. The thing is REAL deer hunters don't hunt with dogs and REAL hunters take care of their dogs...the rest are trash.

We have a rescued Beagle and a rescued Foxhound and it takes time but they make GREAT family pets. (it took us about 1 year for them to adjust to just being 'loved')They do need a fenced in yard though otherwise they may get into trouble on the 'hunt' or may get lost again....

God bless you for rescuing this poor dog. "If" you keep him have a chip put in him, so he doesn't get lost again. I hate people that abandon animals. They are scum.

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