Molly and Mom enjoying a moment together.
Home is Having Someone to Love
Three months ago as I was driving down Hwy-70 not too far from my home, I noticed a beautiful grey-and-white Shih Tzu walking along the guardrail. I couldn’t stop at the time because of traffic, so I went to the next intersection and turned around. By the time I could stop the little dog was in the weeds. I got out of the car and called to her. It took a few minutes before she trusted me enough to come.
Once in the car I took her to the Rowan Animal Clinic hoping she had a chip, but she didn’t. I advertised in the Salisbury Post and notified the Humane Society of Rowan Co. and the Rowan Co. Animal Shelter. They all said no one had called looking for a Shih Tzu. A few weeks later, when no one claimed this little dog, I made an appointment for a check-up.
When the technician at the Rowan Animal Clinic asked what I named her, I said Molly because she looks like the little girl dog in my children’s books. Everyone thought it was meant to be. Even my 96-year-old Mom thinks God sent Molly to us.
On the day of the check-up, everything went well until Dr. Lowe looked at her teeth. He said little dogs often have trouble with their teeth and not taking care of them can lead to major problems later. Not wanting Molly to have health problems, I made an appointment for cleaning. Molly not only had her teeth cleaned, but had four pulled. She’s doing really well now.
There’s no doubt in three short months Molly has brought a lot of joy into our lives. Mom’s fearful of dogs jumping on her, so in the beginning I was a little worried. I shouldn’t have worried because Molly never jumps and is very quiet. Mostly she barks at the television when she hears or see another dog. Her favorite thing to do is curl up next to Mom and go to sleep. Well, that and look out the window at the birds.
Sometimes when I’m in another room, I hear Mom talking to Molly or singing to her in a very high-pitched voice. This scenario reminds me of the Andy Griffith episode where Thelma Lou expresses how much she loves Barney, but Barney can’t sing. Although that’s true for Mom, It doesn’t matter. Molly doesn’t care if Mom can sing or not. She just loves the attention.
One of the unexpected benefits for me has been the exercise I get from taking Molly for walks. Although she likes sleeping on the couch next to Mom, she also likes to go for walks. She looks forward to that time of day as much as I do. It doesn’t matter if it’s raining or cold, she’s ready to go. As soon as I put on my coat, she’s at my feet, wagging her tail as if to say, come on. By just being herself, Molly has rescued us as much as we rescued her. It really is true what they say about rescue dogs. They seem to sense they have a second chance at life.
If you’re interested in rescuing a cat or dog, be sure to check out the Animal Shelter and Humane Society links above. They’ll be tickled to see you.
Have you ever rescued a cat or dog? What was your experience? Leave a comment below, message on Facebook or email dicysm@yahoo.com.
Thanks,
Dicy
www.dicymcculloughbooks.com/blog
