The night of the dog....

I've had bad luck with animals. I know this. Yet, I keep trying, hoping that someday it will get better..

We got a dog when Josh was little, only to discover that little Daisy was a psycho, head spinning, spewing forth green stuff - biter. And although she bit the boy numerous times, he still cried when we gave her back to the shelter. After all, what boy doesn't want a dog? Then we had cats, that always seemed to like it places other than our house. Peaches, Gizmo (now Tommy - stupid name for a cat), Pepper - well. You get the point.

Then there was Dewey. Part black lab, part dalmatian. He was my ex's ex's dog. Get that? He had "custody" because she didn't have the time to take care of him (neither did he - he just paid different people to take care of him until we came along). Not to mention that she lived in another state. But it was love at first sight with Josh and Dewey. And for two years, that love affair was unrivaled. Until my ex and I broke up. And the neurotic side (his part-Dalmatian part) came out. He knew something was going on and repeatedly ripped through screens, doors, windows - you name it. I couldn't handle him along with everything else that was going on - so the ex had to find someone to take care of him until we moved out of the house (that's a whole other story). Dropping the dog off at the kennel where the ex was to pick him up was one of the absolute most heartbreaking moments of my life. The boy was inconsolable. That was his dog, not the fuckwit's. It wasn't fair, why couldn't we keep him, nobody loved Dewey like he did. You get the picture. Not a shining moment.
Since we moved into the new house, I've been thinking about getting another dog. But a small one. One that will sit on my lap, not bite, and be a good buddy to Josh. Not asking too much, right? My cousin has a Maltese - he's Manolo and adorable. We want Manny! That's what we want!
Last Friday, a girl at work was looking for someone to take her dog. It's small. Brown. A chihuahua. Cute. Small. But it's a dog. It'll sit in my lap. Make the boy happy. Will even poo on a puppy pad - no need to go outside ever! So after some thought, I tell her "I'll take him!". Josh is all excited. I'm somewhat excited, but moreso for the boy. He needs a dog. All boys need a dog. Especially mine.
She brings him over Friday after work. We all bond for about 15 minutes, he shakes a bit (they have a tendency to do that - shake). And she and her husband leave. It's probably about 7:15 or so. Now they didn't bring any food, puppy pads, toys - any of those essentials for a dog. That a boy must have. So I have to run out to the store. D told me he didn't like the cold, so if he went out - he really wouldn't go further than the front walkway. So when I open the front door to go to the store, and he jumps up on the back of the couch, I don't hesitate and say "hey little buddy - gotta go pee"? And his response was to jump off the back of the couch, all 5 lbs of him, and run out the front door.
I follow, start up the car (because it's cold out) and watch the dog go to the end of the driveway. And into the road. And down the road. Into the neighbor's driveway at the end of the road. I'm in a new development - and I live in the middle of cow country. Seriously. There is farmland all around. Anyway. I go to the driveway he went into - and can't see him. I start walking through the snow, with no regard to my nice dry Uggs because after all, he's afraid of the cold, he'll be right back. Right?

I see a car come toward me and go around the corner toward the exit of the development. And it stops. Why does it stop, you ask? Because there is a small brown 5 lb. chihuahua running back and forth in front of it. The girl jumps out and tries to get him to come to her. I join in. He continues to run away from us. Toward the exit of the development (a long driveway in and out). A neighbor, trying to leave, gets out of her car and tries to catch him. So there are three adult women - trying to catch a 5 lb. brown Chihuahua at 7:45 PM. In the dark. Girl #1 gives up and leaves. Girl #2 continues to help me - her husband is driving the car and following us slowly. As we chase the dog. Who came toward me once, but then took off again. Right out the exit of the development. But he stopped at the main road at the end, looked both ways and then bolted into the road. Never to be seen again (not even in road-kill form).

When I came back into the house at 8:15 after shutting off my now very warm car, the boy asked where the stuff from the store was. Um. Yeah. Buddy? About that......

My friend that dropped him off came back, we drove around until 9:30 looking for the small brown dog in the dark of the night. Nothing. I'm thinking, at this point - it's probably a search & recovery, no longer a search & rescue. I call and tell her I'm done for the night and go home.

Now. No offense to the people that volunteer at the animal shelters, animal lovers, PETA people - anyone. But seriously?

SERIOUSLY?

Who owns a freaking dog for LESS THAN AN HOUR and then loses it?????

Funniest damn thing that ever happened. Poor doggie. Did I mention that there are coyotes around here? Whoops...