Gotcha’ Nose

I guess I’m way behind the curve, but it’s been 41 years (minus a week) since I was adopted by my parents and I was totally unaware of the concept of a “Gotcha Day.” As usual, it took the Hallmark section at Harris Teeter to enlighten me that I was supposed to be celebrating something. I’m sure Slartibartfast is much more enlightened.

It was a year ago today that we brought home Nervous Nellie the Pudelhund. Ruabelle had seen her first in a kill shelter in Murfreesboro and she hadn’t been groomed in forever and smelled like urine. Her original owners were getting a divorce and both have them had neglected their pet, either in a display of passive-agressiveness toward each other or just out of sheer ass-hatted neglect.

Nellie looked like this:

I was out of the country on business, so even though RUABelle felt a real need to rescue this pitiful poodle, she didn’t want to do it without my approval. By the time I got back to Nashville, she called the pound and found out that Nellie was no longer there. Knowing that dogs have a 5-7 day lifespan at this particular shelter, RUABelle feared the worst and was disconsolate.

The day I got back from China, I didn’t even know what day it was, but I was determined to support RUABelle and get her to actually get off of square one and pick a dog. I’m also a firm believer that the right dog has to find you.

So off we went to a “Dog Day” at the Tractor Supply in Murfreesboro. RUABelle had discovered a female golden retriever on petfinder.com that had been cut by a barbed wire fence and was in desparate need of a new owner that could offer the medical care she needed.

As we pulled into the parking lot, RUABelle exclaime, “That’s the dog I saw last week at the pound!” I still don’t know how she recognized Nellie since she had luckily been placed in a rescue foster home and shaved to clean up all her knotted dreadlocks.

The fact that we found her again was enough of a sign for me and we took her home. If you’re a long time reader of The Dry Spot, you know that it wasn’t easy early on. I still have the scars on both wrists to prove it.

But through a lot of hard work and training of everybody’s part, a lot of patience and a lot of love, Nellie finally came around. She is much more comfaortable with me and other people now. She’s turned into a very loving member of our family and a ferociously loud watchdog when necessary.

So happy Gotcha Day, Nellie! Somebody’s getting some new squeaky toys and a special dinner tonight.