Hi, oh my gosh. He is fine and safe and staying with me until we find the best place. The owner’s daughter, who lives in Colorado, saw him on a national site where I had posted his picture and sent me pictures to confirm it is the same one (same collar, same face, responds to name). Her dad lives right near the freeway and though he is a nice guy he is not a great pet owner (her words, but yeah). He keeps his dogs outside (where he got sunburn and fleas) and lets them roam. She, as well as one fostering place I spoke with, have been helping me find a good home for him maybe somewhere on a farm where there is snow. I’ll keep you posted. He is a sweet gentleman and I would keep him except that I am not home all day and will be traveling soon. I have friends helping me and he is being lavished and loved til we find the best place for him.
Your dog story resonates with me because of my son's cat story. He was with his wife and their two young children, returning to Oregon after a multiple-day camping excursion to a wilder part of Lassen Volcanic National Park (this was some time ago, before the devastating wildfires that burned their way through Lassen several years back). Their vehicle was crammed to bursting with car seats, sleeping bags, tents, all the paraphernalia; their route took them on small westbound highway to intersect with I-5 in the larger NorCal city of Red Bluff. As my son turned onto the onramp, they spotted a tiny and terrified small black kitten darting to a hiding place in a nearby bush. It was emaciated and lost, doubtless abandoned. His young daughter and younger son immediately spoke up in favor of stopping to somehow rescue the minuscule quadruped, but both he, in a moment of what some would doubtless call adult maturity, said they couldn't. Couldn't stop. And most definitely couldn't adopt another small feline to join the two older adopted cats back home that shared their non-palatial apartment. There were a million and one practical reasons why they just couldn't do it, and it couldn't be done. And besides, the little animal was gone and had obviously disappeared. You can't rescue everyone (though, in all their eyes, at this point it was already a person).
So he got on the freeway and drove north, to Oregon.
But then several miles later, he pulled off at the next exit, crossed the bridge and drove back south the several miles to the original interstate exit in Red Bluff, took that exit and crossed over to find themselves once again on the same original onramp. But, of course, the tiny feline had disappeared for good. It was gone.
Nonetheless, my son pulled over to the small shoulder adjacent to the onramp and they all got out of the vehicle and commenced a search. Looking, and calling, and making the kinds of small high-pitched friendly noises that one makes to cats one is fond of. And... it stuck its head out from the bush where it was hiding and looked at them. They managed to coax it closer and it allowed itself to be picked up. From there, it was only a few short steps back to the vehicle.
It's now part of the family. Though, initially, the two adult felines weren't thrilled at having a new smaller metaphorical sibling. My son's daughter insisted on naming the new tiny member of the clan (which, in the intervening years, has grown up and filled out and has splendid long black hair). The name chosen seemed particularly appropriate... the first word it spoke in answer to them: "Miaow".
Brilliant Dierdre! While our heads spin and clang with noise and angst and meaning-making, the miraculous simply walks right in. Oh my god that big boy is a beauty. And so are your 200 snaps.
baseball and anxiety got me. I used to live a few blocks over from Fenway Park. I'd hear the games every night...mainly just the roar of the crowd. Knowing thousands of people were screaming around the corner made me anxious.
Oh I so love the stories of how our fur-buddies arrive into our lives and our hearts. I am certain they are little angels in disguise, who show up at exactly the right moment ❤
Ahh, I'm so glad you stopped, I can never ignore a lost animal and you're right, I have a similar story but it wasn't a dog, it was a calf - imagine a calf in the back of my old VW! It's easy to find the owner of a calf though, they are tagged at birth and the number is registered, a quick call and within the hour the owner came with a huge cattle trailer and shoved the poor animal inside, no tether to stop him slipping or falling. I wished I'd never called... he was comfortable curled up in on the back seat of my car with my daughter stroking his soft ears...
I hope you find the owner of your beautiful lost dog - are you not obliged to chip your pets in the US?
PS I read the Baseball post, I don't know the first thing about it, we Europeans never quite got the point when there's football to get excited about..; pity!
“It wasn’t chaotic or hysterical or frantic” - your energy saved that sweet pup! I love his face!!! Thanks for saving him and loving on him until he finds his next home.
He really is a handsome fellow. He’s medieval!
Please! You must tell us more about the dog. (This is the first time I have ever commented on Substack!)
Hi, oh my gosh. He is fine and safe and staying with me until we find the best place. The owner’s daughter, who lives in Colorado, saw him on a national site where I had posted his picture and sent me pictures to confirm it is the same one (same collar, same face, responds to name). Her dad lives right near the freeway and though he is a nice guy he is not a great pet owner (her words, but yeah). He keeps his dogs outside (where he got sunburn and fleas) and lets them roam. She, as well as one fostering place I spoke with, have been helping me find a good home for him maybe somewhere on a farm where there is snow. I’ll keep you posted. He is a sweet gentleman and I would keep him except that I am not home all day and will be traveling soon. I have friends helping me and he is being lavished and loved til we find the best place for him.
What a beautiful dog! Amazing story. Thanks for stopping.
Really sweet too. And yes, always so scary when you see a dog on the highway.
Your dog story resonates with me because of my son's cat story. He was with his wife and their two young children, returning to Oregon after a multiple-day camping excursion to a wilder part of Lassen Volcanic National Park (this was some time ago, before the devastating wildfires that burned their way through Lassen several years back). Their vehicle was crammed to bursting with car seats, sleeping bags, tents, all the paraphernalia; their route took them on small westbound highway to intersect with I-5 in the larger NorCal city of Red Bluff. As my son turned onto the onramp, they spotted a tiny and terrified small black kitten darting to a hiding place in a nearby bush. It was emaciated and lost, doubtless abandoned. His young daughter and younger son immediately spoke up in favor of stopping to somehow rescue the minuscule quadruped, but both he, in a moment of what some would doubtless call adult maturity, said they couldn't. Couldn't stop. And most definitely couldn't adopt another small feline to join the two older adopted cats back home that shared their non-palatial apartment. There were a million and one practical reasons why they just couldn't do it, and it couldn't be done. And besides, the little animal was gone and had obviously disappeared. You can't rescue everyone (though, in all their eyes, at this point it was already a person).
So he got on the freeway and drove north, to Oregon.
But then several miles later, he pulled off at the next exit, crossed the bridge and drove back south the several miles to the original interstate exit in Red Bluff, took that exit and crossed over to find themselves once again on the same original onramp. But, of course, the tiny feline had disappeared for good. It was gone.
Nonetheless, my son pulled over to the small shoulder adjacent to the onramp and they all got out of the vehicle and commenced a search. Looking, and calling, and making the kinds of small high-pitched friendly noises that one makes to cats one is fond of. And... it stuck its head out from the bush where it was hiding and looked at them. They managed to coax it closer and it allowed itself to be picked up. From there, it was only a few short steps back to the vehicle.
It's now part of the family. Though, initially, the two adult felines weren't thrilled at having a new smaller metaphorical sibling. My son's daughter insisted on naming the new tiny member of the clan (which, in the intervening years, has grown up and filled out and has splendid long black hair). The name chosen seemed particularly appropriate... the first word it spoke in answer to them: "Miaow".
So relieved they got him! Pets like that are extra special I think.
Brilliant Dierdre! While our heads spin and clang with noise and angst and meaning-making, the miraculous simply walks right in. Oh my god that big boy is a beauty. And so are your 200 snaps.
I’m so glad you stopped! He seems like a gentle soul.
He really is!
baseball and anxiety got me. I used to live a few blocks over from Fenway Park. I'd hear the games every night...mainly just the roar of the crowd. Knowing thousands of people were screaming around the corner made me anxious.
Ha! I always liked it. It made me happy. But being in the crowd definitely would’ve made me anxious.
What a beauty. He caught the right person’s eye. Glad he’s safe, with a loving home in his future.
You don't have to do all that. Sometimes it just happens - what a refreshing, simple reminder.
Oh I so love the stories of how our fur-buddies arrive into our lives and our hearts. I am certain they are little angels in disguise, who show up at exactly the right moment ❤
Ahh, I'm so glad you stopped, I can never ignore a lost animal and you're right, I have a similar story but it wasn't a dog, it was a calf - imagine a calf in the back of my old VW! It's easy to find the owner of a calf though, they are tagged at birth and the number is registered, a quick call and within the hour the owner came with a huge cattle trailer and shoved the poor animal inside, no tether to stop him slipping or falling. I wished I'd never called... he was comfortable curled up in on the back seat of my car with my daughter stroking his soft ears...
I hope you find the owner of your beautiful lost dog - are you not obliged to chip your pets in the US?
PS I read the Baseball post, I don't know the first thing about it, we Europeans never quite got the point when there's football to get excited about..; pity!
“It wasn’t chaotic or hysterical or frantic” - your energy saved that sweet pup! I love his face!!! Thanks for saving him and loving on him until he finds his next home.