Heart Like a Dog

The Good, the Bad, and the Oh My God of living with dogs!

Good People, A NASCAR Race And A Dog Named Chase…Day Two Hundred, Thirty One

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If there is anything that can make me feel better about being away from home and loved ones, it’s the friendship and hospitality of kind people and a dog to hang out with.

My friend Mindy had tickets to a NASCAR race on Sunday.  Seeing as the track is in a very rural area, and traffic is well a nightmare, we decided to go up on Saturday and spend the night at Mindy’s cousin’s house. This tactic allowed us to approach the track from the opposite direction of about 95% of the 100,000 people attending the race.

It also meant I needed to be away from Chet, Sampson and Delilah on Saturday night.  BOO!

We arrived at Margaret and Mike’s lovely home in Sanford, Maine right around 2:00 pm.  I was greeted very warmly by both Margaret and Mike and was beyond excited to meet Chase, their yellow lab.

After Chase greeted Mindy he turned to me (the newcomer) I was instantly reminded of Sampson and I.  Chase was leaning against my legs, while I loved on him and Margaret was telling Chase, “Ok, Chase leave her alone.”

This scene takes place in our home all the time as Sampson thinks every visitor is there to see him.

I loved Chase, he’s very easy-going and friendly and VERY WELL behaved.  He was originally Margaret’s daughter’s dog and was trained as a hunter but was diagnosed early on with hip issues so he retired.  Luckily for Chase he got great parents in Margaret and Mike.  Mike says Chase takes Glucosamine and it has really helped his hips.

Tell me he's not adorable; go ahead I dare you!

After a couple of hours Margaret and Mike left for a social obligation and Mindy and I took Chase for a walk.  Isn’t it cute, he can get his own leash.

I wish my dogs walked as well on a leash as Chase does.

After our walk Mindy and I were off to visit some relatives, then into Ogunquit for a great seafood dinner.  After dinner we drove down to Perkins Cove and watched the sun set and the moon rise.

My camera was totally inadequate to capture the beauty of the moon, but I did get a decent picture of the sunset.

And the opportunity to dip my feet into the Atlantic Ocean.

The entire time I was thinking about Chase, sitting by the window waiting for us to return.

We were off early in the morning in order to catch our shuttle to the track, so there was no time for another walk with Chase, but I was sure to give him some love before we left. (If we were driving straight home I might have tried to sneak him away.) 🙂

We had a fun time at the track, but since I am on antibiotic and was supposed to stay out of the sun I had to really try to cover as much as possible in 95+ degree weather.

Here are two nuts at the track.

The weekend was over all to soon, but I have some great memories of some wonderful people and one special yellow lab.

Margaret and Mike, thank you for opening your home and extending your hospitality to a complete stranger.

Chase, thanks for the love. 🙂

Mindy thank you for including me in your first NASCAR adventure.

Oh The Horrors….Day Two Hundred, Thirty

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Did you ever go through the pet section of your local paper?  Have you seen the ads that say, “free to a good home” or “3-year old neutered male $100”? Did you know that pit bull fighting rings look for these kinds of ads in the paper to purchase a cheap dog that can be used for bait? 

I didn’t either.

But it’s true, I found this out on Saturday when I was trying coordinate the surrender of a dog to the Labs 4 Rescue group. 

I was contacted by a reader who had a neighbor who they thought would be willing to surrender their lab.  I contacted my friend Ann from the lab rescue group and told her the owner had a put an ad in the local paper trying to sell the dog, that’s when Ann told me what these pit bull fighting rings are doing.  It just about stopped my heart.

This is Ranger.

 

When Ranger was surrendered he had allergies, dry skin, bald spots (like he had been sleeping on concrete) and he hadn’t been neutered.

He was picked up and brought to a boarding facility where he will reside until he can be checked by a vet.  Then he will be placed in foster care until they find someone to adopt him.   Had he not been surrendered to a rescue group, he may have had an entirely different fate.

The world of pit bull fighting is vile and disgusting.  What can we as a community of dog lovers do to ensure this deplorable practice is stopped permanently?

How can we get the word out and encourage people to surrender their dogs to reputable agencies? 

An agency where at least every effort will be made to ensure the safety and well-being of these precious, furry beings of love.

Follow-up Friday (A Day Late)…Day Two Hundred, Twenty Eight

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My recap and follow-up to the week. 

Update: Buzz Off

The fly bite I received on Saturday (I found out there are such things as deer flies that do bite humans) continued to remain very hot and itchy.  It grew in size so by Monday the red area around the bite was about the size of a grapefruit.  I called the Dr and discovered that I had cellulitis I have been on antibiotics since Monday and the infection seems to be under control, although the bite is still really ugly-looking.

 

Author’s Note: Proceed With Caution

I’m not sure I stressed enough the dangers of toys that aren’t soft and plushy.  Delilah is particular loves to chew the really hard frisbees, that plastic can be very sharp and it is so important that they not swallow it.

While we hear about indestructible toys such as Kongs, I have also heard of dogs that can chew through a Kong, so it is important to supervise when and what your babies are chewing.

Update: Monkey See

Almost immediately after this picture was snapped, I leaned in to give Sampson a smooch and Bob made one of those horrifying noises that only a cat can make “MEEEEEEOOOOOOOOWWWWWWW” and jumped and scratched me.

I don’t believe I will be able to blog tomorrow, I am going to a NASCAR race with my friend Mindy.  Have a great weekend.

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