HoundsGood: Chronicles of a Virtual Volunteer

Nikki has a little problem.  You see, his owner is moving and is going to euthanize his if she doesn’t find a home.  (His photo is at left).

This story hits very close to home.   When I was six years old, my parents bought their first home.    The lady who owned it had two beautiful dachshunds, and was looking for homes for them as she was moving to Manhatten.  She managed to find a home for the four year old male somehow, but did not have one for the five year old female.   Her answer was to euthanize her if she didn’t find a home.

Long story short, that summer we moved into Heidi’s house.   The moving truck came and picked up the boxes, and left Heidi home alone behind a babygate in an empty house.    Then boxes started coming in again, this time with photo albums, dishes, and toys owned by a three and a six year old.     She became my best friend.   When I talked about how many siblings I had, an inevitable conversation starter when you address a six year old, I proudly stated that I had a human brother, but Heidi was my sister.

My dad was transferred out of state, and we moved from the house only one year later.   Boxes were piling up again, and Heidi was behind the babygate so she wouldn’t be under foot.   All day shey was sort of mopey and making under the breath little whistles.    If dogs smile, and I believe they do, she had the widest smile that day.   Sometimess, a tear comes to my eye when I think of how excited and relieved she was when she was lifted and placed in the car, never to be left behind ever again.

I have driven through New York state to get somewhere else, and I have been in New York.  I still look for that “No Dogs Allowed Here” sign that apparently the gal that owned our dog thought she saw.

Heidi is no longer with us now.    When I was nineteen years old, my heart was shattered.   I was a mess when she died.   She lived until she was eighteen, almost nineteen, so had a long life.

This is why left behind dogs always touch me the most.   That dog, if given the chance may be just as special as my left behind dog was.

The odd thing about Nikki’s photo is that the car in the photo looks like a station wagon my mom droved during the second half of Heidi’s life.   Not too many white station wagons with paneling around anymore, are there?   He is in Washington State.   For more information on Nikki, please visit the HomeZookeeper.  Leave Megan a comment if you can help him!

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.