Pets

Warning: This is a sad post about animals. If you're like me and specifically avoid Petsmart on adoption days so that you don't make a scene (since you become an emotional train wreck at the sight of homeless animals) then grab a box of tissues before reading this.

Yesterday my families beloved Doberman, Bella, was hit by a car. My mom just picked her up from the Emergency Vet where she spent the night and she is going to be okay despite head trauma, facial nerve damage and a hurt leg. My family is obsessed with animals and especially dogs. My first dog was named Tuesday. She was a collie mix that my parents found wandering the streets of Memphis before I was born and you guessed it, it was a Tuesday night. I will never forget the day Tuesday died ... I was around five and when my dad came home from the vet and told us I remember clutching to my mom's yellow nightgown and crying until my tears had made a little spot of her gown nearly transparent.

After Tuesday's passing, we got Atticus - our first doberman. My mom's favorite book is To Kill A Mockingbird - thus Atticus (you'll see a trend shortly). Atticus, like his namesake, was quietly dignified. He loved his family. Every night as I feel asleep, I would hear him come up the stairs before he nudged open my door to peek in and make sure I was okay. He would do the same to my sister and then head down the front steps for bed. His domain was the family den which was carpeted. But after we got our second dog, a dapple dachshund named Boo (after Boo Radley, of course) we decided to replace the carpet that had become a favorite toilet for the puppy with wood laminate. Atticus was getting old and this laminate was just too slippery for him and after a particularly bad fall he somehow hurt his shoulders and suddenly couldn't walk. We rushed him to the emergency vet, one we had never used before, and they operated on him. My mom and sister headed to Greystone for a mother -daughter weekend camp while my dad and I stayed home. We checked on Atticus constantly and noticed he was not being cared for properly. Before we could do anything, the irresponsible emergency vet gave him too many pain pills and he had a heart attack. It still kills my mom and sister that they weren't there to say good bye and for me, the thought that he died alone on the concrete floor of his stall pains me greatly. They were criminals.

So Boo was all alone until we got Hattie (named after Hattie McDaniel who played Mammy in Gone With the Wind - my favorite movie/book at the time and one of my favorites still). Hattie is a dachshund who has since gone to live with my grandparents (after their beloved cat Coco died) but Hattie was my little dog even though she had been chosen for my sister. Then we got Bella. And Bella was the first to break the tradition of being named after literary characters. My sister insisted on the name and my parents obliged. I was none too thrilled that we bucked the trend. I remember picking Bella up from the breeder. She was the last of her litter to be adopted. She is a little crazy ... not as dignified as Atticus. As we drove home with her I held her in my lap and about 5 minutes into the ride she vomited Alpo all over me. I can't blame her since it was during my "Preppy Surfer" phase and my outfit was probably a bit sad. But at the time it was my favorite Roxy shirt. Bella grew on me and she became a wonderful sister to Boo and Hattie.

A few years ago, sweet Boo was also hit by a car. But unlike Bella, his time was up though he was so young. He is buried in our Rose garden alongside Atticus and Tuesday.

Let me use this as a venue for a public service announcement. SLOW DOWN!!! Both of these precious animals were hit because people were speeding and not paying attention. Don't just do it for the animals, what if it were a child for God's sake?!

Mr. SG's and my pets are both adopted. Harper (yes, after Harper Lee) and Scout (To Kill A Mockingbird - you got it). Harper was from a litter about to be taken to a shelter and Scout was about to be put down at the Irving Pound (it was literally the day of) and she was so sweet that they called a no-kill shelter here in Dallas to see if they had room for her. Luckily they did and just a week later she was adopted by us. But most of those dogs we saw in there had been there for at least a year. One had been there for twelve years - never adopted. And dogs like Scout, perfectly angelic and potty trained to boot, are killed every day. Though my family got their dogs from breeders (except Tuesday) Mr. SG and I will get our pets only from shelters and rescues. Don't be afraid of all the misconceptions you've heard. You can find perfectly wonderful dogs and cats (even puppies - even lab mixes!) at shelters and they need your support. Because precious dogs like Scout were wandering around the streets, avoiding speeding cars, and now need a home. If you can't adopt a pet but want to give back, find a shelter and donate time or money. If you can't donate money or time be sure there are many things you can do. Mr. SG and I are donating all of our old towels and sheets so that these wonderful animals have something soft to sleep on. Scout's shelter was Dog and Kitty City and they certainly need help. This economic climate has meant less donations for them, less adoptions and more animals being dropped off since people can't afford to keep their pets. They have less room and less money which means more animals like Scout are being killed every day.

Please Pray for Bella's speedy recovery and pray for all of those animals out there who have not and may never find their forever home. I'll leave you with some pictures of happy animals who have found their forever home. Below is Harper with her favorite toy - a lobster. And Scout snoozing on the couch.

Stay Chic,

HSG