Yesterday my husband called me on his way home from working in the field as a real estate appraiser. He had been out in no-man’s land on a rural section of our county. He was inspecting a plot of land when he noticed a dog wandering about. It was a beagle-mix that looked like it had been roaming about for days without food or water. His coat was dirty. The pads of his feet were crusty and his rib cage was protruding. Ken was able to coax the dog to come near him then placed him in the back seat of his car. He gave little resistance towards someone willing to rescue him from his plight. He immediately curled up on the back seat and fell asleep. He was exhausted. Sleep was essential. Food and water were secondary once he regained some strength. Ken drove up to a trailer to ask if anyone was missing a dog. No one was at home and the place looked deserted. Ken decided to take the dog home since he would surely starve to death or get hit by a car. He wrote and posted a report about a missing dog in that vicinity hoping that the owner would claim him.
Our son had been wanting a dog but had been hesitant to take on ownership of a puppy. The right dog, the right age with the right temperament were all issues that had prevented dog ownership from happening up to that point.
We took the little fellow to the vet. They recommended waiting five days before taking ownership and before paying a big bill for shots and treatment. Upon a brief inspection they said he is young, 2-3 years old tops. His teeth are good and he is overall in good health. Once his appetite resumes, he has rested and has gained some weight, he should be in great shape. It is day three and we have not yet heard from anyone claiming him. For now, he is just “Dog.” We are thinking of names if we get to keep him. Some options are Obi, from my son’s favorite Star Wars movies, Elvis, which my mother recommended since he is a hound dog, and Ribsy, which I thought of when I first saw his boney ribs.
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