Breaks my heart
My whole family is going on a ten-day ski vacation over New Year’s, and of course we can’t bring Samson. I don’t know anyone who could take care of him that whole time, so I’ve been looking into kennels nearby.
One of my mom’s friends recommended a place near our house that her dogs LOVE, so I dropped Sam off there on Monday for a two-night trial run. Oh, it was sad. He was excited when we got out of the car, run run sniff pee sniff pee, but about thirty seconds after we walked in the door, his whole body started quivering. We weren’t doing anything exciting, just standing at the counter filling out forms—I figure the kennel might have smelled like the shelter I got him from, and it freaked him out.
When the guy came out to take him away, Sam was not having any of it. He stuck all four feet out in front of him and braked as hard as he could as he was dragged across the tile floor, ducking his head to try and pull out of the collar. I gave him a big hug goodbye, but I don’t think he noticed. Poor baby.
I paid an extra dollar a day so he could sleep on a PVC-and-nylon bed instead of the papered concrete floor, another dollar a day for treats, and another five dollars a day for fifteen minutes of playtime. Fifteen minutes! They said he’d also get several walks a day, but dude, if I could only play for fifteen minutes every day, I think I’d go insane.
Their website said they also offered rawhide and other chewy treats (for a fee, of course), but I didn’t see that option when I signed him in. I’ll have to ask before I bring him back, because Sammy loves to chew, and it’d be nice to give him something to do while he sits in his cage all day. Maybe they’ll let me bring some for him.
All in all, I guess the place was decent enough that I’ll bring him back for the holidays. I hope his mini-vacation has gone a least a teensy way toward assuring him that I won’t be abandoning him forever the next time I bring him, which is what I worry about most. If only he could understand English!
Boy was he ever excited to see me and my mom when we came to pick him up this morning. His whole body squirmed and waggled as I tried to get his collar on. Big whole-face kisses for both of us. Awwww, so good to have my baby back again. And clean, too—he stayed more than one night, so I had to buy him a bath.
We’re back in my apartment now after staying with my parents for a little over a week during my most-recent spell of sickity-sick. The past four weeks, during which I’ve felt horrible many times but haven’t once passed out, have nearly convinced me that even when I feel awful, it’s highly unlikely that I will fall unconscious and die if no one is around to take care of me. I’m slowly getting to be okay with living on my own again, despite the low-grade woozies I continue to feel most of the time.
In the meantime, hoo boy has the work ever piled up. I’ve tried to stay on top of it, but dizziness and concentration do not mix, and a few of my grades and all of my grad school prep have taken a hit. Back to work!
November 28th, 2007 at 9:34 pm
I’m calling in doctor House on you! Hmmm, will the apt mind if we hide a puppy in it for a few days…
December 10th, 2007 at 10:33 pm
Hey, it’s been awhile since I’ve checked in on you, but I just got all caught up and read THIS, which just broke my heart too! I’ve got a special request in to my mom and brother, who still live a couple of miles from your parents, to puppy-sit. I’m waiting to hear back. My mom loves dogs (she just flew out to spend the weekend with us and spoiled mine), and she will be home for the holidays. Let me know if you would entrust Sam to their care. It would be SO much nicer for him to be with actual people instead of in a kennel!! Poor baby.