Search This Blog

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Our Newest Addition: Maggie Gets a Home

One Sunday while working on the house, C had his nose buried in the laptop screen. Absorbed in something, I could tell that his mind was whirling and that he wanted to ask me something. Let me preface this with saying that for month, C has been obsessed with Caine Corsos (a dog as big as a horse) and had been trying to convince me that this should be our second dog. We had talked a lot about getting a second dog but the idea was difficult to swallow. With both of us working so much and our different schedules, there would be no realistic way to train a puppy, or to maintain the mental and physical health of a very active dog. I was terrified of the idea of getting a Corso and although beautiful, they were apparently pretty active and could get destructive if left unattended for too long. So, back to my pensive husband...
He motioned me over to the computer and I sat down on my hubby's knee to see what he was engrossed in. He was looking at an adoption page from the Animal Services site. Her name was "Brooklyn" and she was advertised as an American/English Bulldog cross. She liked to give kisses, seemed to get along with other animals, and was a stray. "I'd really like to go take a look at her" C said, his voice wavering a little. I started feeling anxious and nervous. "When?" I asked. "How about right now? They are open until 4:30pm?" We were supposed to head to the shop to get a piece of plywood so I could paint the front door, something I was dying to do before Christmas. I am very obsessive about schedules and getting things done when I planned to so this turn of evens was definitely not my idea of a good afternoon. However, when one gets married it is no longer about "me" but about "us" and so for the sake of my husband, I got into the truck and off we went.
When we got to Animal Services, we asked to see Brooklyn and one of the women went to get her to bring her into the outside pen...basically a small yard, fenced in by cinder blocks. She was dirty, white with a few brindle patches. She looked in rough shape. He ribs and spine protruded from her emancipated body and her strong head stayed low. Uncertain eyes looked at us with a mixture of indifference and caution. She just wanted to go back inside. After a while, we got he to run around a little bit and chase a tennis ball. She really was a good looking girl, just in really bad shape. There were sores on her feet and knees, likely from being on hard concrete. She was jittery and didn't listen. Since we didn't know if she was aggressive, we were cautious as well. We went back inside and asked for an attendant again to see if we could take her for a walk. A woman accompanied us and my husband took the reigns. Brooklyn walked fine on a leash but we noticed that one of her feet was bleeding so we promptly turned around. She seemed to be a good girl and I could already tell that my husband had formed a soft spot for the beast and had fallen in love. I just had a feeling that this would happen before we left and I could feel my anxiety rising to the point of panic. What were we doing looking at another dog? We were barely ever home! A large dog, no less, how would we ever manage?
I tried not to cry and we asked about her past. All they knew about her was that Brooklyn was picked up as a stray in Charleswood in August. No tags, no licence, no tattoo, no microchip. Nobody claimed her. A transfer to the main branch of Animal Services and she had been there since October. They thought that she had likely had a few litters of puppies, perhaps she was the mother at a puppy mill? She was likely 2 or 3 years old. I started dragging myself out of panic and switched into detail mode. We decided to drive home and get Butters to see how they got along. The drive was silent. Butters and Brooklyn were let back out into the yard and they basically ignored each other. This wasn't a realistic visit. The ground was neutral and there were too many smells in the yard for either to concentrate.
For $182, we could take Brooklyn home for a week's trial, to see how she acclimatized to our environment, our routine, and our own dog. She would come with micro-chipping, a tattoo, some food, a collar and leash, a trip to the vet to be fixed, a licence, and a few other things. If things didn't work out, we would get everything back but a $40 administration fee. It seemed logical. When panic sets in, logic brings me back to human. Ok, let's do it. C called him mom to bring down a large kennel so that we could safely get her home. Once home, we ran in and grabbed shampoo and towels and took them both to the dog wash. She was smelly and dirty and needed a quick wash at very least. They both got a rinse with some resistance then back home. I found an old single comforter packed away that would work as a bed for her and we set up her cage with a blanket over top to be a safe place for her to sleep while we were at work. She settled in, slowly walked around and explored, Butters excited as apple pie. She didn't whine through the night and had no accidents while we were at work. She got along with Butters, didn't seem to show any aggression, and 2 days later, we decided without discussion that she was now part of the family.
We started writing down name ideas since neither of us liked Brooklyn. Female German names, old lady names....Helga, Olga, Brigitta, Mildred, Martha, Penelope...
We finally settled on one...Maggie.
So, welcome to the family Maggie. We promise to love you and care for you for your whole life. You're safe now with us and we look forward to everyone meeting her.
Maggie at home
Maggie's happy face
 We haven't found Maggie her own bed yet and she seems to like to comforter that we fold up for her. Yet, she still likes to plant her fat bum in Butter's beds. It's so hilarious to see this huge dog in a tiny bed!
My bed!
 Maggie has now had the vet stamp of approval and her sores have all but healed. She's gained about a pound a week since being with us and we're hoping to put another 10-15lbs of meat into her bones. She's fit in really well and is a very easy going dog. She follows us around or sleeps on her bed. C brought home some stronger toys for her to play with.
sitting like a lady
 Butter just loves her new sister! She now has someone to harass and annoy 24/7 when they are out of their kennels. Butters bites her face, nose, ears, toes, jumps all over her, steals her toys and whacks her with them when she shakes her head. She doesn't give Maggie a moments rest, but Maggie is a good sport about it and is always gentle, although will bat her across the head once in a while when she deserves it.
fast friends
 Maggie does a lot of sleeping. On her blanket, in her kennel, and in Butter's beds, like a giant turkey, spilling out of a roasting pan. I'm glad that despite being large in size, she's a real pussycat and quite inactive. She definitely likes to play, but takes all advantage to just relax and snooze.
the turkey is done
 Besides, when she's not sleeping, she has hyperactive-doesn't-know-when-to-quit Butters bouncing all over her! She seems happy and we're both happy that she's fit into our family so well. C is so happy with her and he's got his big dog now. Seeing him smile at her is one of the best things ever. This is love. For everyone.
game on


No comments:

Post a Comment