Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Dog Day's Journey into Night

Written Aug 21, 2011

9am - Barely awake - stumble out to the living room to hide the cats in the cat room so that I can take Esmerelda out for a walk (if she sees a cat she goes into hunter mode - goes nuts, so can't let her know they are in the next room).

10am - In the park Angie the double wide toy fox terrier who was used for breeding in a puppy mill and lived her whole life in a cage before rescue follows Simone's lead and starts rolling around in the grass. Her little chunky tummy is so funny when she wiggles around on her back - she is basically a roly poly.

11am - Get everyone fed and watered - put Esme in her crate, shut the bedroom door, let the cats out into the living room (since having a cat-killer in a 1BR apt with 2 cats this is a 3x a day ritual).

12noon - Call Katie in SC who was fostering Sweet Tea and Penny and said she could help get Honey the flatcoat retriever from Laurens to Landrum. Realize that all of our problems of getting the dog from the shelter an hour away from the boarding can be solved if she can pick her up early Monday and drop her off when she picks up Penny at Landrum vet from having her heartworm treatment. Yay - a logistical situation that might actually work. After we get Honey the 1 year old flatcoat retriever to vet and boarding - then what. Hmm. Definitely not fostering a 50 pound young dog here.

1pm - Head out to Brooklyn Flea in Fort Greene to show off Esme and Angie in their orange Adopt Me vests. In the car to the flea at every stoplight text various people about getting Honey out of Laurens. Also texting Sarah Miraglia about where to meet her husband Rick tonight at 10m to pick up two dogs going to homes this weekend. Complain that google maps should show the exits and the gas stations and truck stops - not sure why they don't.

2pm - The heavens open up and the angels sing - Brooklyn Flea food tents! Eat a shrimp roll from Red Hook Lobster Pound, drink a watermelon shiso soda from Brooklyn Sodaworks.

230pm - Walking through the flea with Esme in her vest getting a lot of attention - meet a nice couple who live in Windsor Terrace (next neighborhood over from me) who are very interested in her - they have no cats, don't even like cats - and have a country house (DING DING DING) with land (we might have a winner!) - give them my card - practically beg them to call me

3pm - Run into Holly and John who adopted THE DUDE back in May! Crazy crazy coincidence since he rode up on the same transport as Esme - and Molly - who I am about to get and take to her new home later, maybe running into The Dude's parents with Esme same day Molly is getting a home means good omen for Esme? They loooove the Dude btw - love him - they call him the perfect dog. They show me a picture - he looks like different dog - so much healthier and happy.

4pm - About to leave the flea - have to run by the doughnut stand - fried in Brooklyn - get a passionfruit with cacao nibs doughnut and a blood orange glaze doughnut - eat half of each in the car on the way home.

430pm - Amazing friend and incredible photographer Jenna Teti comes over to help with the dogs. I have to tie them downstairs so that I can freely move about the apartment and attempt to clean up some of the pig stye-ness that has become my living space - basically a kennel - living in a kennel - pieces of dog toys all over the floor, clothes and papers everywhere, unlivable. Frantically frantically try to clean apartment - fry the vacuum cleaner - it gets too hot as I am vacuuming everything in sight and shuts down. Damn, and I only got through the living room. Bedroom will still be covered in dog hair. Hate myself for living in a pig stye. Wish I had nice apt with everything all clean and no papers or clothes lying about - like in the catalogues.

5pm - Freak out because cannot find ipod. CANNOT FIND IPOD ANYWHERE and have to be in the car for 6 hours - SIX HOURS in the car without an ipod. Will life's miseries never end?

530pm - On the verge of losing my shit - running late - take Esme with me to pick up Molly at boarding at Eva's Play Pups in Williamsburg.

6pm - Molly and Esme recognize each other and kiss kiss kiss and excited to see each other! They rode up on the same transport back in May but only really spent 1 day together before Molly went to a home. Last week after almost 4 months the family felt it was too much for them and returned her. She got a couple of new applications and voila- a great family in NJ with a big back yard interested. Drive out to NJ to do home visit and drop off.

7pm - Arrive at NJ suburban house with big back yard and really nice family. Realize that my car is fcked up - my break lights are stuck on - they won't turn off - wtf? I am worried my battery will die. All the neighbors come out to see the new dogs. Friend of Molly's adopters falls in love with Esme but worries about the cost of treating her leg. Freaking out about having to drive to Scranton with tail lights that won't shut off. Images of battery dying leaving me stranded with 3 dogs in the middle of bumfck nowheresville, PA in the middle of the night.

730pm - Another neighbor rolls up in his ginormous truck - he and the patriarch of the Molly family fiddle with some switch beneath my break pedal - after about half an hour of fiddling voila - break lights go off when they are supposed to - no dead battery.

8pm - Molly and Esme run and play like sisters in the back yard - chase a ball - run around sniffing having a grand time. I click with the clicker when Esme sits but I don't have any turkey or cheese and she scoffs at the peanut butter treat I try to give her. Damn, damn, I have never met a hound so picky about what she eats.

830pm - Load Esme back in the car (she and Molly still playing as we walk out the door) as the family loads Molly up to take her to Petco and get her all set up.
9pm - Call everyone I know trying to stave off the boredom while driving to Scranton to get new dogs. Esme sleeps sooo cute in the passenger seat.

1040pm - Arrive at the 24 hr McDonalds in Throop, PA - great place to meet off 81. Get a fried chicken sandwich, Dr Pepper and fries - must not be hanging out at the all night micky d's and not partake of the culinary delights. Not being a connoisseur of the Mc - have to actually ask the girl at the counter if all I want is small fries and soda (rather than medium) if I should order the meal or just separately. She looks at me a little bit confused. I order separately. On the way to wash my hands in the bathroom I notice the decor is looking more like a spa - wood and stone paneling - than the yellow and red McD's that I remember from truck stops of yore.

1050pm - Come out of the McD's with my bag o' goodies and see Rick Miraglia across the parking lot - yay! We made it! He had left at 6am Friday from Syracuse - driven straight down to Landrum, SC - camped out - then this morning picked up all the dogs and was on his way back to Syracuse. That's a long ass drive to do in one day but to do it twice in 2 days - I could not do it. He is chill and cheerful as usual (not sure how he maintains this easy going attitude all the time). He helps me get the two dogs I am picking up out and walked around. Sweet Tea is the cutest tiniest beagle I have ever seen. EVER. I think she could be mixed with chihuahua - that is how little and cute she is - like half the size of Simone. So fcking cute. And she goes pee pee right away on the leash! Take the puppy Brandi out - she doesn't pee. Oh well. I tried.

1115pm - Load everyone up in the car and head home. Love driving at night when no traffic. Sweet Tea climbs in my lap and she is small enough that it is okay - she curls up and rides on my lap most of the way. Esme snoozes on the back seat and little Brandi the puppy is on the floor in the back. I stick my hand back there and she licks my hand. aww. Chat with friends on phone.

2am - Arrive on my street - DING DING DING there is a parking space just a few doors down from my apt! Yay! But oy vey - I am going to have to walk all these dogs before getting everyone to bed. Go upstairs and walk Simone and Angie. Angie doesn't go - argghghg - but Simone does - good girl.

230am - Try to walk Esme and Brandi and Sweet Tea around the block. Want to scream as Esme is going kind of crazy - not sure if she saw a stray cat but she is acting like the hunt is on - running up every tree - and Sweet Tea is doing it too - wtf is going on? As if there is some invisible force making the dogs insane. Not sure how I will bring them into the apt if they are all keyed up like this. Give them all water in the car. Set up the crate upstairs.

3am - Bring Esme, Brandi and Sweet Tea upstairs. Simone goes in Esme's crate (she never went into a crate before, only when I am about to put another dog in). Dogs everywhere - get Esme in her crate, she settles down. But Brandi - oh Brandi - Brandi whines and then BARKS a PIERCING BARK - at 3am! Spray her with the spray bottle.

315am FCK FCK FCK - I cannot have a dog barking at 315am in my apt. This will NOT DO. Sit outside Brandi's crate with the spray bottle poised and ready. Sweet Tea's crate next to it - she knows better than to bark.

320am - Oh shit - another loud piercing bark - never again - never again will a puppy enter my home at 3am. Bitches can sleep in the car next time.

330am - Realize that if it's not on fb or on reality tv, it didn't happen! Decide to sit down and write this chronology of my day as an example of a typical day of dog rescue - totally typical - this is not unusual - and can you believe it - I'm PAYING to do this (rather than getting paid!). The world is upside down.

4am - Exhausted - not seeing straight and Sweet Tea's adopters will be here at 7am. OMG have to be awake in 3 hours and will never get to spend any time with this adorable dog. Probably better this way -I would fall in love with this one.

405am - Drifting off - dying of exhaustion - but shit shit shit that fcking puppy is whining and I feel a BARK coming on...

1 comment:

  1. Good reading, Sara. I keep thinking at moments that there is an incredible sit-com in our dog rescue milieu. Character driven, dogs and human.

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