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Thursday, May 15th, 2008
On my last post about Stanley the Charming Stray, my sister commented, “are you keeping him? huh?? huh???”
The answer is … I still don’t know. Truth is I’m frozen - I don’t know whether to seek out his nonexistent-or-worse owners or to assume he is a stray and proceed with getting him cleaned up and fixed up. If he were mine, I’d bathe him and treat him for fleas, then take him to the vet to get him treated for whatever multitude of ailments he may have, and have him neutered.
Okay, I’d have already done these things if Darwin didn’t keep hitting the repeat button on his “We’re not keeping him” refrain. “He’s sweet, but we don’t need another animal,” Darwin says, and I say, “That’s true, but maybe he needs us.”
Our other three animals all came to us through similar means - me bringing them home against Darwin’s will, then steadfastly ignoring his protests, while banking on his slower-than-mine-but-still-potent ability to fall madly in love with a creature in need.
Darwin and I are both too impulsive and both attempt - only sometimes successfully - to keep the other in check about our particular weaknesses. Without Darwin’s voice of reason, I’d have a house packed to the brim with three-legged dogs and one-eyed cats. Without my voice of reason, he’d have a garage packed with shiny objects that go vroom.
As it is, I have brought us three pets - now potentially a fourth - and he has a motorcycle and a project truck.
That’s why I’m pretty sure this method could work again. Stanley, like the two cats and dog before him, is a very charming animal and already seems to have decided we’re adopting him. At first skittish, he has now taken to napping on the back stoop and even attempting to poke his head in the door behind us when we go in the house. When I open the closet where the dog food is kept, he watches me through the window and licks his lips. When I leave for work, his ears droop as I drive away. When I come home, he runs up to greet me at my car door. He lets me brush him, and he’s gotten brave enough to tentatively lick my hand.
When I first met him, he was so downtrodden, and now he already looks so much happier, like he can’t believe his good fortune. I don’t want to disappoint him.
So I guess I will have to get brave. I will have to stop asking Darwin’s opinion and just buy Stanley the flea medicine, give him the bath, schedule him the vet appointment. He is ours, if only for now.
Stanley sounds great.
It sounds like you are making the right decision.
I am the same way. I have 2 dogs and 3 cats, (all rescues) and probably 2 more foster cats coming home on Sunday.
My husband has his project bike (Harley Sportster).
I am much better at keeping his impulses in check because he’s a big softie.
I’m hoping it goes well. Stanley sounds like a wonderful pup!
Maybe you should keep him, but as an outside dog. I know letting a dog run loose is something we are resigned to not doing ever again, but it would be better than him not having any home. It would be easy, just cost money basically.
good for you!! we have three rescue kitties and it make me feel good to know we gave them a home.
Oh I hope Stanley has found his family! It breaks my heart to think of him standing outside licking his lips - invite him in! (after de-fleaing of course)
But I would feel so guilty if I left him outside while the other three animals got to cozy up with us in the house. Last night while Millie was snuggling with us on the couch, blissfully basking in our attention, I felt so guilty about poor Stanley outside by himself.
Darwin’s facade of indifference is cracking, by the way - yesterday he (of his own accord) bought Stanley a water dish and some flea medicine.
Ahhh, I see Stanley on the porch, then inside the house and SOON, on the sofa with your other pets.
Today I had an unexpected arrival: a mom cat had kittens in the neighbors shrubbery. All the kittens except one were gone, and it was howling with hunger. The elderly lady who lives there came over in tears, because she couldn’t catch it or help it.
ME…to the rescue. I managed to get the starving kitten into a pet carrier. It is now bunked in a large crate on the special cat quarters I have, though not allowed to get out or mingle with my other four rescues. Apparently it’s a feral kitten, but since it’s only about 6 weeks old, obviously hungry, and I’m feeding it…taming shouldn’t take too long. Don’t know if I will keep it, but if not, I’ll take it to our anmial rescue group for adoption AFTER it’s tamed. Little hissing kitten is eating like it was starved to death!
Hang in there, you’ll save Stanley!
I love this continuing saga! Stanley deserves to be in the house snuggling with you too! I’m sure he’d pick up house-training and house manners very quickly, as most dogs do.
I too have a rescued cat. A large black cat appeared in our neighborhood and eventually found her way into our house. (Long story made short) She is a great cat. Had I known she was going to be such a good cat I would have given her a more noble name. She is B.C.-Black Cat. My other cat hates her, so it is good that Millie is not being agressive with Stanley.
So are you keeping the new dog yet? HUH HUH???
A dog with a collar belongs to somebody. Before you adopt him completely, you really should put up a few posters, or an ad in the paper, just to be sure nobody claims him. Eutaw is a small place, a few posters should suffice. It will avoid heartache later.
I have checked out your blog for quite some time now but this is the first time I felt compelled to comment. If Stanley has a collar on he must “be” someone’s dog—not so. If he were someone’s dog then why no posters in the neighborhood saying LOST dog with Stanley’s description? He is a lucky dog who has found his forever home in your household. Do the right thing, dip him, make him the vet appt and fix his teeth and neuter him. Then enjoy the good karma you will receive in this deed.
Having bred, owned, loved and been loved by more dogs than I can count over the past 30 years all I can tell you is that when you do a good thing for an animal it comes back to you ten-fold…..
What a great blog! I, too, was moved to comment by the Stanley saga. Hope you decide to keep him. We have two “rescued” stray cats and a purebred Yorkie that was ransomed — not purchased — from an alleged “licensed breeder” (read: puppy mill).
If you’ve named him, it’s already too late. He’s yours.