Puppies Off to New Homes

Photo: Rod Moser

I think it was easier to send the kids off to college than it was to send two of the puppies to a new home today. My wife was sobbing, until she realized, of course, that we have reduced our puppy poop by 33% now! We still have four of them left - one will go to the neighbor's in about a week; one will go all the way to Maryland's Eastern Shore to live with my brother and sister-in-law. The other two will live with us. We are keeping Ellie, a hyper little girl who is teaching the others to bark; and Zac, a quiet little boy that has totally bonded with my wife. I guess I get Ellie....

The new owner is a retired, widowed man who lost his dog about 9 months ago. He initially wanted one puppy, but quickly jumped at the chance of getting two when another person changed her mind. He has been actively preparing for their arrival, including getting them a dedicated room in his house (I don't even have that), and has read up on caring for Shelties. Although it was sad to see him drive away with two of our puppies, they will be going to an excellent home. We know, we drove by and checked it out. My wife prepared a nice puppy pack that included the recipe for the food we are giving them now, one of my old socks filled with their mother's hair, a new collar/leash, and some of those smelly stuffed animals they have been sleeping with since they were born.

We also have an older Sheltie, soon to be fifteen. She is deaf, arthritic, and has teeth like a British methamphetamine user. She is unbelievably sweet, but sleeps about 22 hours a day now. Yesterday, when we decided to give her a bath and brush out her heavy coat, we discovered a mass. She has a walnut-sized tumor on one of her front legs. I took her immediately to the veterinarian that afternoon. The vet said it was cancer. The good news is that it is not painful for her; the bad news is that it would be too risky and painful to have it removed. Excising this malignancy will not change the inevitable, unfortunately, and surgery is a bit risky at her age. Sadly, after experiencing the utter joy of having six new little Shelties, we are going to lose our oldest one. I know that euthanasia is compassionate, but it still sucks. We hope we will not have to do this anytime soon.

Dogs have relatively short life-expectancies, unlike humans. Fortunately for many of us, we may live well into our eighties or beyond if we take care of ourselves, and are spared from life-threatening disease or accidents. Assuming dogs live about 15 years (some live longer); our life span is about six dogs, assuming you get one at a time.

My good friend drove up yesterday to see the puppies. He, too, has a very old dog. He stated that he has no intention of being without a dog, so like many people, he is looking for a back-up dog now. We have been friends for so long, that I remember at least six of his dogs. He told me that he can't imagine his life without having a dog. This time, he wants an Australian Shepherd. In the past, he has had English Bulldogs, two West Highland Terriers, a German Shepherd, and now, a pit bull (although he calls it something else less-menacing).

My brother procrastinated and pondered this decision since the puppies were born. He wanted one desperately, but did not want to sacrifice his freedom and mobility. It took repeated conversations with his friends, both pro-puppy and con-puppy, before he made the decision to get one. Logistically, this is going to be a difficult move. The puppy has reservations on Pet Airways to fly (first-class) from Los Angeles to Chicago, and then from Chicago to Baltimore. Pet Airways has a flight-attendant for the pets in transit; checking on them every 15 minutes. They fly in roomy cages in the cabin of the plane. It ain't cheap - about $250 for the one-way fare, not including the fact that we have to drive seven hours to Los Angeles to drop off the puppy. My brother is flying out for a few days prior. He will accompany the puppy to the flight, and then hop on another flight to Baltimore so he can get the puppy at the other end. Now, that is dedication. We both decided that having this little puppy in a cramped cage under the seat of the plane for eight hours was a bit cruel. This really is the best way, and a hellava lot cheaper than our other solution: having me drive the puppy to Nebraska (about three days), and him driving to Nebraska to make the switch. Of course, when you add up six days on the road, just for me, including fuel costs, hotels, meals, and wear and tear on the vehicle for 3000 or so miles, it would have cost each one of us about a thousand dollars or more!

Pets are good medicine, folks. I call it Petication! People with pets are usually less stressed (although I see a new pile of puppy poop on the floor) and happier. Pets are great listeners and relatively-good psychiatrists. They are non-judgmental, loyal, fun, and loving. Yes, you have to spend money on veterinarian bills, buy special food, and other pet necessities, but you don't have to send them to college. Pets will not steal your car, borrow money, or have parties when you are away. Pets do not smoke, drink booze, or take drugs. They will, however, chew your shoes, crap and pee on the carpet (at first), and wake you up at all hours of the night. The good things definitely outweigh the bad.

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• Pet Health: The Veterinarian Is In
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