Endings and Beginnings

We did something drastic on a Wednesday night in May.  Blake, Lil Vance and I met Vance right after work and we drove as fast as we dared an hour and a half distance south to Lewisburg, Tennessee to make it to the Lewisburg Animal Shelter before they closed at 5. I'd called earlier in the day and verified that they locked the doors right at five.  We had to make it because on Thursday, May 26th they euthanized dogs that had been there too long. We made it in an hour and fifteen minutes with about 25 minutes to spare, but the doors were locked and no one was there! We were too late.

The reason for our journey to Lewisburg began in January, the same day we came back from my Grandpa's funeral, Maggie died.  The back gate blew open in the wind, Maggie got out and we didn't even know until we saw the blue lights from the police cruiser flashing in front of our house that something was wrong. Maggie had been hit and killed.  On some levels I felt that if I could just undo loosing Maggie then  it would somehow make loosing Grandpa hurt less. Illogical of course, but then sorrow is rarely logical.

Maggie was the first of what has turned into a long line of strays and rescues in need of a meal and a home. When Maggie crept into our back yard and cowered under the boat she was emaciated, covered in ticks, with a bullet scar fresh on her chest, and very obviously nursing puppies.  The moment I knew Maggie had come home was when she put her head on Lil' Vance's shoulder and howled, whined and cried her sad story into his sympathetic ear.  I called Vance who was away at school in Oklahoma and told him we had another dog. She licked my hands the whole time I fed her, bathed her and picked the ticks off of her.  I quit counting ticks after 50. Here she is on her first day. Lil' Vance was telling his Dad all about her.

For a week I fed Maggie several times a day and then she'd sneak off to go to her puppies. I'd tried several times to follow her, but every time she'd spot me she'd run up to get petted and then would lie down somewhere and wait patiently until I gave up and went back inside.  On April 26, Lil' Vance's birthday, I watched from the window as she literally tiptoed down the tracks, sneaking off again. But this time it was different I heard the train coming and frantically called her back all the while imagining her getting hit by the train and her puppies dying without their mother. I told Maggie it was time to go to her puppies, and she somehow understood.  She led me on an almost 2 mile hike back through the woods, under fences, through creeks and fields until we got to an abandoned fallen down barn. The whole way she kept looking back and stopping to make sure I was keeping up.  Six of the fattest rolly-polly puppies came running out from under that barn and didn't act the least bit afraid of me, maybe because Maggie told them it was okay. I don't know.  Eventually we found homes for all the puppies. 

Maggie had a big personality. The best we could tell she was a lab and border collie mix. She was very smart and friendly. It was fun watching her blossom into this big bouncy dog that just loved life, and food. 

Eventually I insisted the boys teach their dogs some manners and enrolled them in 4-H dog obedience. Maggie and Lil' Vance won first place several times in costume contests, and after that Maggie was dubbed Maggie Moo.

When Blake came along she treated him like one of her puppies. She watched over him, tried desperately to lick him when I wasn't looking and tolerated him crawling all over her.  Out of all the dogs we have I knew the worst thing Maggie Moo would ever do to Blake was accidentally knock him over and then lick him.

When we lost Maggie she left this big hole in our family. Blake no longer had a dog to play with, and even the other dogs sulked because Maggie was always the one to instigate playing.  I knew we could never magically replace Maggie, but still I spent hours searching Craigslist and Petfinder looking.  Kelly was my confessor throughout as I'd told her why I was looking and that I knew my reasons were fraught with illogic.  Over and over I'd send her links and pictures of dogs with captions along the lines of "What about this one?" Over and over she'd logically point out why it just wasn't a good idea. So I had huge doubts about driving a hour and a half to an animal shelter, but I'd picked out several puppies to look at, and at the last minute I'd found a picture of an adult lab mix that caught my eye.  

It was just such a huge let down when we arrived at the animal shelter and they were closed. Vance made a few phone calls to the number for adoptions and talked to a woman who tried to call the shelter worker, but without any luck. We were just getting ready to leave when he pulled up in his white city truck. He had to go pick up another dog and as the only employee at the animal shelter he locks up when he leaves. Several hours earlier I had confirmed the puppies I was interested in were available. When we got there all the puppies had been adopted and only the adult dog was left.  So we looked at her, and knowing she was scheduled to be put to sleep the next day we couldn't leave her. I think you'll see why.

Meet Maggie Mae!

 She's adopted Blake. Where he is she is. She is so smart and sweet! We tried a bunch of different names for her, but we kept saying she's just like Maggie! It is amazing how many similarities there are.  She's not as old as the shelter had listed her and still has a lot of puppy in her. She's probably 9 months old to 1 year. It is a little tough to tell. 

The only surprise with her has been her breed. At the shelter she seemed so petite, but it was dim and a little cramped.  When we got her home and let her loose in the back yard she exploded with energy and suddenly we realized her true size. She's a big girl! Our vet confirmed our suspicions that along with the lab she's part Great Dane.

In memory of Maggie Moo who inspired us to take a chance on Maggie Mae another unwanted dog. We miss you Mags!