Small Talk: The Welcome Mat

[Spunkygal]

@Netfoot, I do see your dilemma. Please remind me how long you and Buddy have been visiting with her? Off the top of my head, I would just keep doing what I'm doing. You are right to not force her into the van. That would destroy all the trust you've cultivated. Keep visiting, petting, feeding and letting her play with Buddy. She's had a hard life and is a tough nut to crack. Hopefully over time she will be more and more drawn to you. But if she doesn't, you've done all you can and you've given her more tenderness than she's ever known before. I say good on you for caring so much!!

[Netfoot]

Just now, Spunkygal said:

Please remind me how long you and Buddy have been visiting with her?

Buddy went off and found her at the beginning of July, and brought her back to the clubhouse.  I started feeding her the same day.  But then after a couple of weeks,  I went off to England.  It was nearly four weeks before we saw her again.  At first, Bud used to have to go and find her.  She was living under some bushes several hundred yards away from the clubhouse.  Now, I think she pretty much lives around the clubhouse, because she is often waiting for us there when we go.  Recently, we've been going four or five times a week to see that she gets something to eat.

When we get there, Foxy appears before we can even park!  Bud jumps out the window to go play with her.  (Buddy-logic has concluded that it is faster to make me wind the window down so he can jump out, than to just let me open the door.)  The two of them cavort around while I park.  Thankfully, they are smart enough to cavort well away from the vehicle. (That is a lesson Bud learned very well, after arguing with a Kia as a puppy, and losing!) When I park and get out, she rushes up all excited and waggy-tailed to greet me, but she stops short, just out of reach.  I have to coax her to come close enough to give her a cuddle.

[Honeycocoa]

Hi Netfoot! and Spunkygal!

If you did take Foxy into town, you would probably need to get her into a dog crate before you put her in the car. Terrified dog in car without crate sounds dangerous for all of you.  Maybe this is your relationship  with her. She is your remote dog , who you take food to on a regular basis.  You might be able to give her some medicines mixed in with the food - flea control, heartworm etc.  But this may be as good as it gets for her, for now at least.  And this is a huge improvement.  She's not starving. That's a lot. Maybe you could chat with your vet about if she has any suggestions for what else you can do?  Thanks for taking care of her.

And once again I'm glad the hurricane stayed away from you.

We're good out here in California. Our neighborhood  "dog park"  - it's a baseball field-  is being remodeled - sunk down several feet to be a water retention basin when in rains, so Stella and I have to drive to another local park for dog socializing. I feel a little silly, driving her to the dog park three times a week, but we meet up with our former neighbors and she has a blast, so it's good. Sometimes the huge dog across the street hitches a ride with us. Tonight was ice cream night, the local Ice cream place lowers it's prices on Tuesdays, so we walk down there, the dogs get vanilla and the humans get whatever they want. I was delighted to see chocolate peppermint on the menu.

[Lamb18]

Netfoot, maybe one day Foxy will jump into the van on her own.

Edited September 13, 2017 by Lamb18

[Netfoot]

6 hours ago, Honeycocoa said:

Terrified dog in car without crate sounds dangerous for all of you.

Prezackly!

17 minutes ago, Lamb18 said:

one day Foxy will jump into the van on her own.

I'm working on it, but progress is very slow.  I've reached  the stage where I can get her to come right up to me so I can pat her and cuddle her up for 5 minutes at a time, but she still isn't trusting enough to let me pick her up or even walk up to her.  If I'm sitting she might come if I call her, but if I just stand up or even shift position in the chair, she runs away again. I measured her neck yesterday, so I could buy her a collar.  (13" circumference.)  Even that was a chore.  I used a dress-maker's measuring tape, and as soon as she saw it in my hands, she took off like a rocket.  It took me about an hour to get her to come close enough to be measured, while the tape was in evidence.  

I keep coaxing her to get into the van, but no progress.  When we are leaving, I call out, and Buddy and he runs over and jumps right in.  She comes with him to within 2-3' of the door and looks in, but there is no indication that she is considering jumping in herself.  Clearly, she doesn't want us to leave, but she is not interested in coming with.  She will follow the van, but that doesn't help.  My hygienist told me she wanted to rescue a dog and had it follow her car all the way home, but that was only a couple hundred yards. With us, it's a 15 Km. drive.

I fear I will have to get a carry-crate (from I-don't-know-where), betray Foxy's trust to get her into it, and get her to the vet that way.  Whether I will ever be able to regain ger trust afterwards, is another story!

[Spunkygal]

Hi @Honeycocoa and @Lamb18! I agree, I think @Netfoot should just keep on doing what he's doing to gain trust from Foxy. This may be as good as it gets, but I have faith that she will eventually want to come with him and Buddy. I don't know that a vet is going to give @Netfoot medications to put in Foxy's food without examining Foxy. I know that it is highly dangerous to give heartworm medication to dogs who already have heartworms, or that's what a vet told me years ago. So without testing her, they won't know if she has them. And she seems happy with Buddy and @Netfoot right now, but be careful. I was bitten by a stray that I was trying to help a few years ago. She was so sweet and loving, let me pet her, etc., but when I tried to nudge her into the car, she got my hand. It was not a bad bite and my city's animal control said that we have not had a case of rabies in years and years and years. I got a tetanus shot and kept the bite clean until it healed. You can barely see the scar now.

We have second-hand pet carry crates for sale all the time in my neighborhood, so if you put the word out that you need one at a good price, you can just keep it in the van for when/if you need it. There are so many pet lovers that someone may loan it to you.  So, I would just be patient, continue with the visits, feeding, loving, and maybe one day she will want to go with Buddy and Netfoot. Asking the vet for advice is a good idea!

@Honeycocoa, don't feel silly driving to a dog park. We have several in my town that are not within walking distance of my neighborhood and I have several friends who drive to the dog park everyday when the weather is nice. It is great socialization for them and for the humans!  

[Netfoot]

7 hours ago, Spunkygal said:

I don't know that a vet is going to give @Netfoot medications to put in Foxy's food without examining Foxy.

I'm sure you are correct, and I have no plans to medicate her.  I am no vet and I wouldn't undertake to decide what medication she needs.  Any physical injuries, of course; cuts and bruises, etc, I would deal with, (cleaning, disinfectant, etc) but she is in pretty good shape, physically.  I am considering one of those edible/chewable flea/tick meds, but they are usually based on weight.  I'd only do that if the vet was OK with it, based on her photographs.  She doesn't have a huge amount of fleas/ticks evident.  I've found and killed one tick so far, and no sign of fleas.  Also found and killed a tick on Buddy which he obviously got from her.  (Bud hates ticks, and reacts with hilarious disgust when you find and kill one!) Also would give Foxy an edible/chewable worm treatment as well.  Not that I have any particular reason to think that she has worms, but I give Buddy a precautionary one every year, and I take one myself, too!

I'm well aware that Foxy could give me a nasty bite.  Buddy frequently tries to get 'fresh' and she whips round like lightning and pins his ears back with a fierce nip!  She is not the least bit hesitant in using her teeth.  I have a pair of work-gloves that I'd wear if I had to do anything risky, but they would only protect my hands, and observing her with Bud - she likes to go for the face.

I might be able to borrow a carry-crate, but I think it would take quite a bit of time to acclimate her to the very sight of it, far less get her close enough to stick her in it.  I m ight have to borrow it for a month or more.  

I wish we had dog-parks around here.  I would love to have somewhere to take Buddy where he can socialize with other doggies.  Poor boy never gets any face-time with other four-foots.  Well, now he has Foxy as a friend, but still!

[Honeycocoa]

Does she fetch the ball Netfoot? You could teach her to fetch ( treat whenever she brings it back and drops it) and then eventually toss the ball into the crate a couple times.  Better yet just leave the crate there so she gets used to it.  Stella doesn't use her crate much , but she likes curling up in small spaces sometimes.

I would ask around the neighborhood or the vet for anyone who might have an old crate they aren't using.  They are easy to come by here, but there's probably less in your islands.

[Netfoot]

20 minutes ago, Honeycocoa said:

Does she fetch the ball Netfoot?

No.  Sometimes she runs after it, and plays with it, but she doesn't fetch it if I throw it.  I think what really sends her after it, is if Bud goes for it.  She then races to get it first.  It's one of those "squeaky" balls, and if I squeeze it, it really attract her attention.

One interesting thing:  If I hold my hand out palm up, she sometimes "gives me five".  She raises her paw high up, and slaps it down into my hand.  I have tried to coerce this by saying "Paw!"  and "Shake!" and similar phrases, but she doesn't respond to that.  Only to my hand held out.  Sometimes she actually offers to "give me five" unexpectedly.

[Netfoot]

[Spunkygal]

Aw, she's such a sweet girl! And so smart! She does love to give you five! And it looks like she's licking her chops. Must have just enjoyed a treat!

[Netfoot]

She's now giving me five all the time!  Either that, or she just likes holding hands... 

I caught my royal arse to get a few selfies with her today, but that horrible brute that lives with me kept blundering in between, and shouldering her away.  (He is now for sale, at a very reasonable price!)

No treats.  Two tins of chunk tuna in water!  (And the despicable bullephant charged in and stole a mouthful of that, careless of the fact that she won't get another meal until Saturday, while he will be fed at least twice before then.)

[Netfoot]

It hasn't been a good day.  I discovered today that my GP, who has looked after me so well for the last 10-ish years (and whom I adore) will not be seeing patients any more, after next month.

Also:  Foxy!  I wasn't going to go up today, but as it turns out, I had to go to the aeroport.  So, since I was going halfway there anyhow, I bundled Buddy in the car and off we went. Stopped to buy a small collar.  In black, because all girls should have at least one little black outfit!  Next stop, the vet.  I showed photos, and especially those with Foxy and Buddy together.  The vet selected the right dosage chewable tablet that kills fleas, ticks and worms.  Then, to the aeroport to make a pickup, and on to see Foxy!

She wasn't there.

For the first time in weeks (months?) she was nowhere to be found.  Bud went off searching, and returned half an hour later without her.  Then he tried the opposite direction, and was back in another half an hour, still without success.  Meanwhile, I had been using a pair of field glasses to examine all the surrounding countryside, without seeing anything.  lots of false alarms, because the fields are full of egrets, so there are plenty of white things out there moving, to trick the eye!

Finally, I bundled my boy in the van and set off through the dirt roads to scour the area some more.  My van is fitted with a set of Potenzas, but it is not suitable for off-roading.  Still, we covered quite a bit of ground, maybe as much as 120 acres, whistling, calling, and using the field glasses to scan as much of that area as possible, and to scan outwards as well.  No sign.  I got as close as possible to the clump of bushes where she used to live, when Buddy first found her, and walked the rest of the way through the tall grass, to see if she was there. Nope.  

Then I drove right around on the perimeter road, where she might have been struck by a car, but there was no huddled form anywhere to be seen, thankfully.  

Finally, we passed by the clubhouse again, whistling and calling, in the hope she had returned there while we were away, but no luck.

I filled both bowls with water, and came home. Buddy looks as unhappy as I feel.  I will go again tomorrow, and hopefully she will have returned from wherever she was today.  I hope no ill has befallen her, because I feel responsible.

[Browncoat]

Oh no!  I hope you find her tomorrow!

[Spunkygal]

@Netfoot, no, you are not responsible if something bad has happened.....please don't think that! You have given her loving kindness and food and Buddy has given her friendship. She was probably under a different bush, taking a nap or something. I bet she shows up for tomorrow's visit. You are such a generous person to get her a collar and the appropriate meds from the vet. Dogs can travel a great distance and she may be roaming out of range but will find her way back. I know you must feel sick and worried. We are holding good thoughts that she is there tomorrow. Please keep us posted. Fingers crossed.

AndI know how you feel about the doctor retiring. I had the same thing happen about six years ago. It took me a few tries but I found a doctor who I like almost as much as the original one. Maybe your current doc has a recommendation? 

[Netfoot]

She isn't retiring, I don't think.  I believe she is opening a five-star rehab clinic for the very rich and famous.  I'm going to miss her terribly.  Where am I going to find another doctor that prescribes scones with clotted cream and strawberry preserves?

Foxy lives out in the open, and has recently found a place where she gets cuddled and fed every day or two, and has been hanging around there quite closely.  She could have walked off, all the way to St. Lucy, but why would she?  I remember when first I saw her she was dragging her rear legs quite badly.  I thought she had a broken pelvis or something.  That (whatever it was) seems to have healed up fairly well.  She walks with a slight limp now, still.  When I stroke her I can feel all sorts of knobbly ribs that I presume were previously broken and have set out of alignment.  She's had some hard knocks, poor little mite.  It's obvious everyone doesn't see her as worthy of care.  So, whether it be a passer-by kicking out if she comes too close, stone throwing schoolboy hooligans, or irate farmers with small-holdings and 12 ga. shotguns, there is a great deal of evil that could have happened to the poor girl. And she is only little.  It wouldn't take a lot to do her serious harm.  She may be as jumpy as a virgin at a prison rodeo, but she is a sweet, gentle, loving little girl underneath all that, and I may have softened her distrust of humans just enough for her to let evil come within range.

Also, who knows what sickness she may have contracted?  She obviously hasn't had her vaccinations or any other medication in a very long time, if ever.  She may have simply succumbed to something that could have been treated.  Some fever, or any of the many illnesses to which doggies can contract if they don't have someone to take care of them.

Perhaps if I'd just grabbed her three weeks ago, bundled her into a laundry sack so she couldn't do me too much harm in the van, and driven her to the vet, I wouldn't be sitting here tonight wondering if I'd ever see her again.

So, OK, if anything bad has befallen her, I am not responsible, seeing as whatever it is, I did not do it.  But I might have prevented it if I'd done something differently.

Oh, I found this:

It was about 100 meters from the clubhouse, and well withing the area that she and Buddy cover, when they are running around, playing together.  

[Spunkygal]

@Netfoot, I hope you and others who read this don't jump all over me for saying this because I am not exactly proposing that you do this, but am just throwing it out for discussion. I wonder if the vet would give you a sleeping pill or doggie Valium to slip in her food to give her the next time you see her...and I believe you will see her again. Maybe that way you can get her in the van and to the vet quickly. When my girl was young, she was terrified of storms and was just nuts when we'd have one. My vet gave her a prescription for doggie Valium which calmed her and storms ceased to bother her. Her hearing is not so good now and she doesn't hear the storms, so I no longer give them to her. Again, I'm just throwing it out for discussion. Of course you'd need to discuss with your vet.

[Netfoot]

17 minutes ago, Spunkygal said:

I wonder if the vet would give you a sleeping pill or doggie Valium to slip in her food to give her the next time you see her...

Actually, when I was at the vet this morning, asking about flea/tick/worm meds, I asked if they had any pet-boxes to rent.  (Asked at the pet store, too.  No and no.)  When I explained, the vet said "Well, I could give you an oral anasthetic..." Then she twisted her face like she was in pain, and continued "Buuuuut........" and showed me pain-face again.  So, I figured it the vet isn't comfortable with the idea, then I shouldn't be either.  I guess that would be the very last option, if all else failed.

To be honest, I'd thought along those lines before.  I didn't know there was an oral anesthetic i could give, but I considered buying a bottle of rum and getting her rollicking drunk.  But I am not keen on that idea, either.

Once upon a time, when my beloved Dotty was living with me, a friend gave him some beer to drink, at the beach.  I swear, it was about a quarter of an inch in the bottom of a small bowl.  Dotty got so pisteradically drunk on so small a tot I had to pick him up and put him in the car. Totally paralytic. He lay on the front seat with his head hanging into the front footwell.  It swung from side to side like a pendulum, as we went around corners.  When I got him home, I picked him up and laid him on the cool tiles in the dim light of the passage. Around 11:30PM he roused up, with a face like a tornado had hit him.  He went out for a pee, drank a copious amount of water, and lay back down with his two paws over his head. Poor baby.  I've never allowed anyone to give my boys a drink since.  Dotty that once, and Buddy never.  Not that I actually allowed them to give Dotty grog.  It happened without my knowledge.

[theschnauzers]

Quote

Once upon a time, when my beloved Dotty was living with me, a friend gave him some beer to drink, at the beach.

Got one better than that. Once, in my teens, before my family got addicted to schnauzers, we had at least a half dozen parakeets. My dad liked to have his beer in tall tapered beer steins. And we would close the family room doors so we could let them out and fly around.  And you can guess what happened. One of the parakeets liked to drink the water out of these glasses when we had roses in them. One night though, the one parakeet landed on the lip of a glass my dad has filled with beer and drank some beer. Did this several times in fact. Then got concerned for the bird's flight safety, and put him bac in his cage. Good thjng, too, as the bird was trying to FUI (Flying while intoxicated). He was fine in the morning. We did take polaroids of this, but I haven't seen those in decades.

[Netfoot]

No Foxy.

[Spunkygal]

OH....? I was hesitant to look at your post. Was afraid you'd say this, or even worse. I know you and Buddy are so worried, as we are. Keeping her in our thoughts that she's ok. Do you ever see anyone else in the area that you could ask? Anyone else ever at the clubhouse? Are there any animal rescues or shelters you could visit to see if she's there?

[Spunkygal]

@Netfoot, hope you and little Buddy are safe and ok. Sounds like TS Maria is supposed to drench you guys today. Let us know! 

[Browncoat]

I was thinking about you today too, @Netfoot!   Hope all is well!

[Netfoot]

We're under an advisory right now.  Maria supposed to pass 120 miles north some time tomorrow morning early, with winds up to 65 MPH.  It's been dropping moderate to heavy rain all day, and there is a flood warning in effect until 6:00 tomorrow morning.  Also, there is a High-Surf Advisory and Small-Craft Warning in effect until Tuesday at noon.  The storm is expected to intensify to hurricane strength by the time it hits the leeward islands.  Barbados is the easternmost of the windward islands, so it looks like once again, we will have said farewell to the system before it strengthens.  

The downside of this is I can't go and look for Foxy today.  Too much mud, and my van will get bogged down, Potenzas or not.  Just hoping that it is drier tomorrow, but the forecast doesn't make that seem likely.  Bud keeps coming and putting his head in my lap and staring at me with his "when-are-we-going?" eyes.  If I ignore him, he cajoles me with a little rumble in his throat.  I've considered driving up as close as possible and walking in the last quarter mile, but common sense says I shouldn't.  Foxy's disappearance has really upset me. Her absence for 48 hours yesterday, where she failed to show up to play with her friend Buddy, to get a full belly, and to get love and cuddles?  I fear for the worst.  Especially given the nothing-but-bad news of all sorts that I've been getting for the last several weeks.  I am itching to go and search for her some more, but I need to actively avoid doing anything stupid.

[Spunkygal]

Yours and Buddy's safety is the most important thing right now. Remember, you have a duty to Buddy.  You are family to each other, so just stay where you are please. Animals are smart and Foxy may have hunkered down somewhere. Her internal senses may have told her that this TS was on its way. Thoughts and prayers that you will find her when it is safer to get out there. But Buddy is #1!!

[Browncoat]

I agree with @Spunkygal.  Keep Buddy and youself safe!

[Honeycocoa]

Stay Safe Netfoot!  Foxy has been on her own for a while. She may be just fine. and whatever you've done for her has helped.

Sorry about your doc moving on,  unwanted change is annoying.

Stay dry!

[Netfoot]

It stopped raining late in the afternoon, and I thought about making a run up to look for her.  Decided against it, and a good thing.  By the time I would have got there it was actually hosing down! It has stopped again, and isn't raining now.  

Latest advisory says sustained winds are now 80MPH (just barely hurricane force) with the center expected to pass between 80 and 100 miles north, in the early hours of tomorrow morning.  Flood Warning,  High-Surf Advisory and Small-Craft Warning still in effect as before.

This is an interesting satellite image taken half an hour ago.  Can you find Barbados?  

[Honeycocoa]

Second square over, third one down, lower right corner? I think....  or is it actually in the big swirly mass? Yikes!

Take good care, Netfoot . It looks awfully damp...

[Spunkygal]

I think it's on row 15, 3rd square from left...big swirly green mass? Yikes! That looks menacing.  Be smart and safe, Netfoot!

[Netfoot]

Third row, third column.  This is the same image, but NIR instead of colour enhanced IR.  You should see a little cyan island near the left hand edge of the indicated square.  If you zoom in, you can see me waving!

It's been raining all night, and still is.  But no wind to speak of.  I'd grab Snuggle-Buddy and go back to bed, if I didn't have an appointment at nine!  Go here for a current VIS image. (You can definitely see me waving in this one!) At time of this posting, this image was less than an hour old.  This link points to the latest image and therefore changes every few hours. Didn't link it last night, because it is VIS, so at night you can't see anything! If I am reading this one correctly, looks like Martinique & Dominica will get the eye.

But then, I haven't got anything right in the last fortnight, so...

[Netfoot]

Maria is stronger but is now moving away.  The Flood Warning,  High-Surf Advisory and Small-Craft Warning are still in effect for a while longer but the Storm-Watch has been discontinued.  

It's still sluicing down, however.

I contacted the RSPCA and the Ark, asking if by any chance Foxy might have been rescued by them, or if they have any info.  RSPCA says they do not have her, the Ark has not responded as yet. If it is dry enough tomorrow, I will go look for her and if she can't be found, I will try with some posters in the surrounding area.

[Netfoot]

With the departure of Maria (she slapped me with a two-hour power outage last evening, just by way of saying goodbye), I thought I would go looking for the little girl.  The whole island is waterlogged, and the track in from the main road was pretty slushy-looking.  Like this:

But, we took the risk, and went for it.  It was interesting, in the Chinese sense of the word, but we made it to our destination.

No Foxy.   My little man Buddy went out three times, searching far and wide, each time returning muddier than before.  No luck.  I'd made up and printed some posters, so since she was nowhere to be seen where we'd hoped, I decided to depart early, and staple up the posters on the main road, where people might most easily see them.  Bus stops, road junctions, etc.

On the way out, the track was worse, because some idiot had chewed it up some, on the way in!  Keep wheel-spin to a minimum so as to reduce digging in.  Keep some speed up so as to glide past any spots where the tires lose grip.  Stick to the rocky parts and avoid the watery or slushy parts.  Lost traction several times.  At one point I had full left lock and the van was going hard right off the track, aimed at a mud-wallow, but it responded to the helm in time, and we made it out.

I stapled up the posters, three sides of the area, covering a mile or more of road.  (There is no road on the fourth side.)  Then we came home.  I'm hoping that perhaps someone will call with good news, but I am afraid we will see that sweet, little girl no more.  

Sometimes, life really turns to shit.

[Spunkygal]

Netfoot, what a fine and admirable person you are. I refuse to give up belief in a Foxy miracle. She had to find her own safe place before Maria's wrath. She enjoyed the bond she had found with you and Buddy and she has to be somewhere. Yes, there is a chance that she has gone on her own way, but know that you gave her what she had never experienced before. From looking at the pics of her, could you have turned your back on her? No! I hope you will feel some happiness in knowing that you have gone above and beyond for that girl. And more importantly, I am glad that your area is finished with that wench Maria. I am sick to think of the havoc she will inflict on other areas. But there is also a chance that some other kind, generous person will see Foxy and will help her, too. I raise my glass of Chardonnay to you. 

[Richness]

Did anyone else shout today "That's Namibia, jackass!" For those who are wondering, Trump made the same country name mistake that Drew did from season 1 (and Mike in season 26).

[Netfoot]

Buddy's doctor (who was also Dotty's doctor for his entire life), took her own life last night.

[Browncoat]

Oh, @Netfoot, I am so sorry.

[Spunkygal]

@Netfoot, my deepest condolences. So heartbreaking for everyone. ?

[Honeycocoa]

Oh my God, @Netfoot I'm so sorry. That's so very sad, You've had way too much loss lately, this is just not fair. Depression is a terrible tragic disease and I'm so very sorry. I hope you and buddy are doing ok and taking good care of each other. Life is hard sometimes. please be gentle with yourself.

Edited October 2, 2017 by Honeycocoa

[Honeycocoa]

Hey @Netfoot, Still thinking about you guys, just checking in. take good care.

[jumper sage]

@Netfoot - I ambled onto to this thread to see if anyone knew anything about the race since they just left NYC on Sunday...........................

OMG!  As I kept reading your updates I was getting more and more anxious.

(disclaimer before you read any further - I can't be around dogs for 2 reasons. firstly, I am extremely allergic to dander.  Secondly, dogs usually don't like me.  I can be walking down a street and not even know a dog is behind a fence and that dog will leap over the fence and charge me.  We did have a hunting dog when I was a kid but it mainly lived outside with a beautiful dog house, complete with fresh hay daily.  Hunting dogs shouldn't be inside unless it is extreme weather.  Heck, his house was pretty nice and we could fit 4 kids in it.  When it was extreme cold or heat he was brought in the house and knew he could use the side door, be in the large mud room, entry way and tile floor up to the larder, and had run of the entire finished basement.  He preferred the basement especially during extreme heat.  He knew if I was out in the yard, quite large and enough to ensure him a good run, he could walk beside me but not touch me and I could toss him treats for behaving.  I do not like to see any animal mistreated in any way.....)

On 9/15/2017 at 8:14 PM, Netfoot said:

 She's had some hard knocks, poor little mite.  It's obvious everyone doesn't see her as worthy of care.  So, whether it be a passer-by kicking out if she comes too close, stone throwing schoolboy hooligans, or irate farmers with small-holdings and 12 ga. shotguns, there is a great deal of evil that could have happened to the poor girl. And she is only little.  It wouldn't take a lot to do her serious harm.  She may be as jumpy as a virgin at a prison rodeo, but she is a sweet, gentle, loving little girl underneath all that, and I may have softened her distrust of humans just enough for her to let evil come within range.

This broke my heart.  Stone throwing kids?  Farmers who would shoot?

Let's hope someone as kind as you rescued her.

[Netfoot]

@jumper sage, Sunday was my last hope for Foxy.  One of our members has been away, and I had been holding out a tiny hope that he had taken her home to care for her, before travelling.  Not impossible, seeing as the members were supportive of efforts on her behalf from the beginning.  Anyway, he returned Sunday, and regretfully, he does not know what became of her.  Tomorrow will be three weeks since she was last seen.  I still fear for the worst.  Foxy was living 350 meters from the nearest paved road.  Few people pass that way, and the chances of a good Samaritan coming along and adopting her would have been slim.  A passer-by would not have easily got their hands on her to take her home.  I believe she has succumbed to foul play.  It breaks my heart.  Her little body bore such signs of earlier abuse it just kills me to think of her suffering more.  Budweiser misses her, and continues to look out for her all the time.  Thankfully he isn't still performing the exhaustive searches he was at first.  I can't shake the guilty feeling that I could have prevented her loss if I had acted differently.

@Honeycocoa, it's been a pretty awful couple of months for an unreasonably large number of reasons.  Some of which I've mentioned, but the majority of which I've not talked about.  Like my old mate Tony dropping dead just a month after I had tea with him when I was in England.  An absolute shower of misfortune, believe me.  Upshot of which is I've not been in the most sociable or talkative moods.  Been reading lots of novels, watching loads of stupid TV, forcing myself to do one constructive thing a day, trying to get life together, and hoping things take a turn for the better instead of continuing to get worse.  That's where I'm at.

Life is a beach!  I just got a lot of sand in my shorts, is all.  

[Spunkygal]

@Netfoot, I am so very sorry to hear of these sad tidings. Please take good care of yourself and little Buddy. I agree with doing little mindless things to occupy your time. And I'm so grateful that you had a chance to visit with your friend Tony. Tomorrow is not promised to any of us and it hits home when you receive unexpected sudden bad news. As far as Foxy goes, perhaps she went exploring before Maria hit. You will probably never know what happened or where she went, but as I've said before, you know you did all you could for her. 

I hope you feel better and stronger each day. Buddy and your other friends need you. Please let us know how you are doing.  I send peaceful and restorative thoughts to you.

[jumper sage]

@Netfoot - I will be thinking of you.

[Honeycocoa]

Ah Netfoot, sometimes all you can do is take care of yourself, your dog, and try to do something productive once a day. Nothing wrong with novels and dumb tv, there are much worse options out there. I'm sorry about your friend, I lost a good one this summer too. Sometimes it just slows me down, I'm just much more distractible than I used to be. It's hard.  I think you did your best for Foxy.  You gave her some food and some good times and I'm sure that made her feel better. I'm glad you were able to do that and I'm sorry shes still missing.  and very sorry about your vet , too. I know how much you enjoyed her. Just take good care.

[Netfoot]

1 hour ago, Honeycocoa said:

and very sorry about your vet , too. I know how much you enjoyed her. Just take good care.

My sweet Dotty loved her very much, and she cried when he passed.  And Budweiser can thank the fact that she repaired his leg when he got hit by a car as a puppy. Every time I see him running after a rabbit I give thanks to that woman.

Oblivious me.  I never knew she was unhappy.

Edited October 8, 2017 by Netfoot

[Browncoat]

9 hours ago, Netfoot said:

Oblivious me.  I never knew she was unhappy.

Don't blame yourself.  Those of us with depression (myself included) can be extremely good at keeping it concealed.

You did good with Foxy, too.

[Honeycocoa]

Many professionals would not share much about their lives with a client, no matter how much they enjoyed them.  And sadly, medical professionals are often pretty effective at suicide. I'm so sorry , I remember when she treated Buddy's leg.   Hugs to you guys.

We are about 100 miles south of the wildfires in the Northern San Francisco Bay Area. It's been smelly and smoky since Monday morning. My son's  PE classes are being held in the gym since the air quality is so bad. I've heard of at least one long lost friend whose home in Santa Rosa burned to the ground.

It's a little bizarre how many disasters and tragedies there have been lately, hurricane, flood,  earthquake, hurricane , mass shooting,  wildfire.  my life is just fine, though I still mourn the friend I lost this summer. but I find my body feeling rather stressed anyhow.  I need to dig out my yoga dvds and try to get more sleep or something.  and, ya know, send money.

take good care, people.

[Netfoot]

It is so strange to sit here and try to grasp a fire that has already burned an area 1½ times the area of my entire country.  To grasp smelling smoke from a burn as far away as St. Vincent (next island over).  

@Honeycocoa, Dig out those DVDs and if that doesn't work, try a couple of daiquiris!

[Honeycocoa]

The winds sent the smoke elsewhere today, though it still smells weird outside. People are walking around with masks on.  (90 miles south) The fires are still going, Calistoga was evacuated the other day, North winds are supposed to whip it all up again tonight. So far only 31 victims have been found, but something like 400 people are still missing.  There is a cool wild animal attraction near Calistoga called Safari West, lots of stories in the media about the owner staying and saving all his animals while his home burned down. We stayed there one, it was beautiful.

Daiquiris sound good, though I'm more of a Mai Tai girl. Budweiser is a beautiful dog, Netfoot. One day at a time...