Dusty's Blog

Last Tuesday evening Double D and I hopped in the car and headed off to cast our vote in the latest election. Even though it was a local election Dusty learned, no ID, no vote. But he was a trooper and hung with me while I cast mine so I gave him my, “I Voted” sticker.

Being filled with civic pride we headed back out to the car deciding to take a quick trip to the local cheeseburger and fries establishment, it only took about 10 seconds to decide what we wanted. The usual, cheeseberger, no onion, no pickle and just a tad of salt on the fries and a big Coke! And, 2 straws!

Driving home I’m thinking a little Old Crow Medicine Show music would be nice. The first song was Wagon Wheel, with windows rolled down, the smell of fresh cheeseburgers and fries and the stereo blasting, we’re cruising. Wagon Wheel is a really great song and… I join in, taking the high tenor part.

I check the rear view and wonder if or when Double D will join in? He’s heard the song before so, why isn’t he singing? Mmm, looks like he’s distracted or maybe has a case of stage fright. As we get closer to home his ears are back and he lookin around. Ok, maybe my singing isn’t quite as good as I think it is and I’ve embarrassed him in front of his neighborhood friends. Rolling up the windows and turning the stereo down we arrive home.

Getting out of car, I grab dinner and open the back door. Dusty jumps out of the car and quickly heads towards the house. I’m feeling bad, I can just imagine how he feels, nothing worse than being embarrassed by your folks. With my head down I dig for the keys to house when a large white streak of a dog flies by me headed for the large tree in the front yard, where he promptly relieves himself.

I’m relieved it wasn’t my singing causing his angnst, but the call from nature.

 

I’ve lived at my forever home for 9 months and I’m loving life! Finally, dad has given me a job!

He says everyone has to contribute and now I can too.

Emmylou’s job is to protect our cul-de-sac from any and all things. She’s really quite busy during the day, barking and running between the front door and the window making sure she has everything under control. She sleeps really good at night because she’s earned it.

Shelby’s job is to find as many of our neighbors as she can that will give her hugs and treats. She has it down to a science and she makes her rounds according to whose available and whose not. She has been known to sit on the sidewalk waiting for folks to come home and then gives them the over the shoulder poor, poor pitiful me look.  She’s truly the master!

I also have a very important job. Shelby sleeps on the bed with mom and dad. Emmylou sleeps on the floor at the bottom of bed. I, sleep on the floor next to dad’s side of the bed. Most evenings before he goes to sleep he sets his alarm so he wakes up in time to go to work. Sometimes the alarm goes off and he doesn’t wake up, that’s where I come in. Since I’ve been living here I’ve become quite a talker, I’ve found my voice. I have developed the ability to talk and sing quietly and not so quietly. When the alarm wakes me up but doesn’t wake dad, that’s my clue. I start quietly reminding him to wake up sleepy head. Most of the time a quiet reminder is all that’s needed. I’ve also learned how to goose him with my cold, wet nose. On occasion though, I’ve had to really let it fly! When I’m done, EVERYONE’S awake! Emmylou’s barking, Shelby’s looking around like, what the heck, mom and dad are laughing and I’m feeling pretty proud of myself, thank you very much!

Makes me feel good to help, cause that’s what being in a family is all about.

 

Howdy, Dusty dog here, a couple of weeks ago Shelby and I went to the vet to get shots in the butt and to test her poop. Don’t ask me why, cause I don’t know. It’s always an adventure going anywhere with Shelby! People always notice us when we’re together. I thought it was because she’s so pretty and I’m not too hard to look at, they notice us because we’re both Tripawds!

When we got to the vet, mom went in to drop off Shelbys poop and let them know we’ll wait outside the front door. It wasn’t a minute later when one of Shelby’s and my friends came outside crying. She hugged mom and dad and told them that her handsome dog was having emergency surgery and she was very, very worried and scared. She told us he had surgery in December and something was wrong again. Just then the vet tech lady came out and and gave us our shots and free treats! Shelby loves treats, I mean, she really loves treats.

We followed Mary back inside to the waiting area where her husband was seated. Shelby and mom sat on the floor, dad and I sat next to them. She knew all about Shelby being a Social/Therapy dog and that someday I wanted to be one too. Mary told us her dog was in training to be a search and rescue dog, and had done very well in mock searches. You could hear and see how proud she was as she told us the story. The whole time Mary was talking she was either petting Shelby or me. She seemed happier when she was petting one of us, more relaxed and fewer tears.

After awhile no one was saying much, we were just hanging with our friends. Mom asked if we could get them some lunch while they waited, dad said there’s a great burger place down the road, Sequoia Burger. They said, we know exactly where you’re talking about, but no thanks, they were good.

We got up to say goodbye and Mary told mom and dad how much they appreciated having a visit from Shelby and I, it really helped them to get through a pretty tough time. Initially we had planned to be at the vet for 15 to 20 minutes then we were headed to Sequoia Burger for lunch. We had been there for about 90 minutes.

We started out just going to the vet and then to lunch, but our friends needed some help. We were so happy we could be there for them, it was the most importent thing we did that day.

Hi, Dusty here, my birthday was January 2nd and I’m 2 years old!

We didn’t get to celebrate because it’s been raining and raining and raining and raining, so we had to wait for a little sunshine. Yesterday had a ton of sunshine so Mom and Dad took Shelby and me to the vet to get a shot in the butt and then on to our favorite place, In and Out Burgers!

Foster Mom and Dad, Kathy and Jim, sent me a In and Out get burgers and fries for free card. We had a ball eating burgers and fries!

Here we are waiting for Mom with the bounty…

Here’s Mom messin with us!

Mom snuck me a fry so Shelby wouldn’t see

Showing off my athletic abilities.

I had a wonderful birthday pawty!

The end.

A couple of days ago, Mom, Dad and I went to a local mall so Mom could shop and Dad and I would work on my social skills. I’m pretty scared of unexpected noises so Dad and I sat on a bench watching the cars, people and the dreaded skate boarder pass by. Mom told Dad, he had to brush up on his social skills at the same time!

We were there for about 20 minutes when we noticed a man walking right towards us. I’ve heard the expression, “like a moth to a flame” and that’s just what he did, came right to us. As he got closer I could see that he and the world had had a skuffle or two but he looked like he had won the latest skirmish.

When he got to us he asked if he could pet me, Dad said I’m getting socialized so, let’s give it it a try. He kneeled down and slowly brought the palm side of his hand up and very quietly said, “hi boy, how are you doin’ today?” He introduced himself, “my names Abe and Dusty looks alot like my dog that just passed. His name was Bo, we spent the last sixteen years together; would you like to see his picture?” Absolutly, I’d love to. His phone was pretty beaten up, the screen was so cracked…but there was Bo. He really was a great looking dog.

He told us he was doing some carpentry work for a guy and saw a bunch of puppies and made an offer. “I’ll knock some money off the job if i can have one those pups.” The deal was made, he walks over and picks the runt of the litter. He told me that since he was a Dingo and the runt, it wouldn’t be long before the mom would have killed him and I couldn’t stand the thought of that…not his fault.

Abe said at first they had it all, great house, plenty of work, life was good, then the recession hit. From a home to homeless the two of them did the best they could. Living and life was tough, very little work, hardly any food. “Bo always ate first, he depended on me and I wouldn’t let him down.” One night they were parked not too far from a fast food resturant, so he left Bo and walked into the resturant and asked to speak to the manager, she walked up and said, yes? He asked if he would sweep and mop the eating area and then clean the bathrooms, could he have a couple of hamburgers? In a mix of english and spanish he barely understand most of what she was screaming at him, but he understood “bum and lazy”! Weeping as he continued his story, he said “I didn’t want anything for free, I just wanted to work for a couple of hamburgers…it was so cold and we were so hungry. I wasn’t and never have been a bum!” A few minutes later a man eating at the resturant tapped on the window, apologized and gave them some food.

Work began to appear and things began looking up. He said he gave his life to Christ; he and other Christian carpenters started a group to help others like themselves. He is so excited about this new mission.

“Can I show you another picture of Bo? This is what cancer did to him, took his beautiful coat and you can see what he looked like”. Abe said, “I think it’s the dog food that causing all the cancer in dogs.” Dad said he’d read about it and lots of folks agree with you. “Bo loved meat loaf, so a few days before he passed, we had meat loaf!” Smiling he said, “loved Kentucky Fried Chicken, so on his last day, we ate all the chicken we could.”

He took him in and holding his best friend for the last sixteen years, helped him on his way and let him go.

“I got his ashes back 2 days before Christmas, so we got to spend this Christmas together…”

All throughout his story he would pet me, talk to me and tell me how much I looked like Bo. Dad asked him if he believed in Devine Appointments, he said he did. God put Dad and me and Abe there to meet. Dad asked if he would remember us in his prayers and we would do the same for him. Dad also told him what a blessing it was to meet him and asked if he needed any help, he said no, he was doing great. They shook hands and I got some more pets, then we walked away.

A couple of months after Dusty came to live with us, we had our friend Mary, an animal communicator, check in with him. See how he was feeling, if he liked his new home and family. Dusty said he was so happy here, felt some pain in his leg that was no longer there, but overall he was great! He told Mary “I want to do the same work that Shelby does, I want to help people feel better and put a smile on their face.”

Guess what Dusty, you’re already there.