Sam and Cadbury

Sam and Cadbury patiently wait for Mom to get herself together for the day. Sam and Cadbury are becoming good buddies!

Good Omen or Bad???

As usual, the Cowles clan barely makes it awake to midnight to pour sparkling cider, clink glasses, and wish everyone a Happy New Year before gathering stuff and heading for our various homes. Unusually, our New Year's get together was @ Mother's. While driving home, I only get about four miles when I approach the intersection of Geeenfield Ave and Madison Ave. There is a dog in the intersection. A big dog - a German Shepherd. It certainly didn't belong there on New Year's Eve! It could so easily become the victim of someone who had partied too much. There were no others cars so I stopped, without pulling over, unrolled my window, and the dog came right over and accepted petting through the window. Well, so it's a nice dog. Then looked in rear view mirror to notice there were now a couple cars behind me so I turned the corner onto Madison and pulled to side of road. Not surprisingly,
the cars whiz by without stopping. I get out, the dog comes over, sniffs the car seat and jumps into the back seat.

Now what do I do with this shepherd in my back seat? Don't know gender. Don't know where it belongs. Should I take it home? What if it doesn't get along with my three big dogs? What about the cats and the birds? Will it stay in my back yard??? ? ? ? ? ?

Call Andy - my dog rescue friend. Could call county shelter to see if they could take it. If not, strategy set for accommodating a strange dog overnight at my house. If that is a problem, I could take it to Andy's and kennel it. I get as far as Granite Hills and Jamacha Blvd when I find I need to find county Animal Control phone number as it isn't already on my phone. It is about 12:30 AM. Pulled to side of road - again. With great difficulty and a lot of time, I finally get it on my cell's browser. Take off and call. A nice man answers but I need to call El Cajon City animal control as El Cajon has its own shelter. He gives me the number and I am endeavoring to commit it to memory when he wants me to also have ECPD's number. For the 3rd time I pull over. Called EC shelter only to get the recording. Called ECPD and they could have an officer meet me at the shelter but no idea when an
officer would arrive. I had explained my concern that I already had 3 dogs @ home and had no idea of compatibility with a 4th. However, as morning was passing, and I was tired from working in Indio on Friday and the 3 1/2 hour drive home, maybe my bed would be more quickly reached if the dog would just ultimately sleep in a crate in my bedroom as Andy had suggested.

Back on Jamacha Blvd and heading home. This dog is totally unconcerned about dilemma it has caused. Arrive home. Pull into garage. Close garage door. Dog jumps out of car. Runs around car checking out new smells. I can hear Cadbury and Sam outside the man door. Almost get choker collar on but deftly avoided. Around the merry go round (car) we go! Open door to large dog crate in the garage. How did I ever have the foresight when I straightened the out flow of storage a couple weeks ago to have the door of the crate face into the garage? Dog has no problem going into crate. That is apparently a safe place. I finally slip on collar and leash. Cadbury and Sam making noise to let me know they are dying to reunite with Mom. If they are aware, stranger dog is secondary to hugs and rubs from Mom. Ignoring the pleas of "Double Trouble", leashed, I take the dog up the inside stairs. Dog
cooperative.

Now all 3 of my dogs are at patio door - extremely excited for hugs and rubs - and maybe even to get out of the cold. Two snow dogs and a mountain dog need to come in because it is less than 45 degrees? Well, maybe Tanka. He may be genetically a husky but his preference is otherwise and he is creeping up on the ripe old age of 14 this spring. Open patio door and it is a combination grand reunion and let's check out the new Girl still leashed. She doesn't even seem to realize there are parrots in those big "crates" filling up the family room.

Tanka as always finds a spot downstairs. Seldom does he bother with stairs to bedrooms. Cadbury bounces past me and the shepherd. Sam also gets past to join Cadbury waiting outside my bedroom door. Now to see if this dog will leave the cats alone. Open door and the dogs and I get in before Elliot can slip out. Maybe Elliot counts 3 Big Dogs and is slower in escape. Shepherd minimally interested in cats. Whew! She stays on leash as I, with difficulty, retrieve collapsible crate out from under bed and set up. She accepts going in!! Whew!!! I get ready for bed. Send off a text to Andy to apprise him - so far so good. And 3 dogs, 3 cats, and I settle in on a cold New Year's Eve night @ nearly 2 AM - I with every intention of sleeping in - at least until 8 or 9!

Wrong. At 6 I hear Tanka downstairs - must need to go out. Cadbury and Sam take the opportunity for a pit stop as well. Back to bed but it didn't seem long when another request from Tanka for a door to open to the outside. It is about 7. Maybe hot cocoa will help. Then I go to computer awakened and driven to make FOUND posters with this gal's picture (thanks to cell phone camera) to put up around Madison and Greenfield intersection.

As beautiful and nice as this gal is - I DON'T NEED 4 BIG DOGS. How did I get from 2 old big dogs to 1 old big dog plus 2 young big dogs plus this big dog in just 2 months? Oh! This could be a bad omen for a new year! Although Andy's take on the situation - what a way to start a New Year with a good deed minutes into it. Not trusting, but hopeful that will be the direction for 2011.

On the other hand - what a compliment to Cassie that 3 dogs could be required to fill the hole she left. And interesting that Cassie, a husky/shepherd mix, would be followed by a husky and a shepherd. The Leonberger just isn't this part of the thought processing of "isn't this interesting".

9 AM, Tanka and Susie (had to call her something) and I with 11 posters, clear packing tape, and scissors head to El Cajon. Posters up, I drive on up the hill to Mother's as I had forgotten to give her the dates (the fruit) I had bought just for her the day before in Indio. Disappointed not to see any "LOST" posters in area.

Make a ham sandwich from the previous night's leftovers. It is only about 10:30 but feels like lunch time to me. My phone rings in my jacket pocket at the other end of the table. I jump up - maybe Susie's people. I hope someone is in tears with their dog gone. It is "just" Andy following up on Susie.

Birds still need cages cleaned and to be fed. I head home and check out the posted posters for visibility. Then I think maybe I should go the "extra miles" to see if Susie has been chipped. I head to the west end of El Cajon for a large vet clinic that might be open on a holiday when I realize there is one closer.

Sure enough, Suzie is chipped and she is Cara. But owner does not answer phone. However, less than 15 minutes later and the service connects the owner and I. Cara is on her way home. And then Tanka and I head home to feed the birds and get a nap before dinner and cards @ Andy's.

WRONG again. A quick stop @ Kohls wasn't quick. Tanka had an "accident" in the car - fortunately on the seat protector. Another quick stop @ Petco to get ID tags for Cadbury who is using Elliot's and Sam who isn't officially adopted. Too gaudy and twice the cost as at Walmart. We'll wait. Arrive at my street to see a big lion colored dog standing there and realizing "Oh that's SAM!" as Cadbury races around the corner! They have escaped!! It must be a bad dog day.

Sam and Cadbury

Sam and Cadbury patiently wait for Mom to get herself together for the day. Sam and Cadbury are becoming good buddies!

Sam

Sam is a 20 month old Leonberger who was in 4 homes by the time he was 18 month old. He is looking for his forever home. He has had two sleepovers at my house and doing well with sharing a bedroom with Cadbury, Elliot, Tiger, Thomas, and me. He came to visit Christmas Eve and is still sharing the bedroom at night.