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A Chihuachshund's Life

Hooray!

We adopted Zelda on February 18, 2006. She and Verona play together constantly! I worried that Verona might be too big and playful for fragile little Zelda, but they seem to be a great pair. They do get into little sqabbles over rawhide occasionally, but hey, who doesn't? They run together, they jump while playfully nipping at each other, and they even nap together occasionally!

I am so happy that Verona finally has a canine playmate. She is such a sweet and affectionate creature, and Zelda's playful personality is emerging more every day. I don't think I've ever been happier--and I don't think Verona has, either!

The New Little Foster Dog

For the past week and a half, we've been fostering a beautiful little dog named Shelly (who we are trying to rename Zelda). Like Verona, she's a Dachshund-Chihuahua mix. Unlike Verona, she's absolutely tiny (she weighs maybe all of 4-5 pounds) and looks more like a very small black-and-tan Dachshund with a Chihuahua-shaped face and longer-than-average legs. Also unlike Verona, she was hit by a car and has been recovering from the accident for the past few weeks.

I wish I could say for sure whether or not Verona and Shelly/Zelda are going to be friends, but Zelda's too sick for us to be able to tell yet. She has an upper respiratory infection (we think) that just won't go away, so she spends the days sneezing, wheezing, and hocking on the couch. Verona sneaks up to her and curiously sniffs her, but they haven't been able to play yet. Zelda did sniff around the backyard this afternoon (rather than pull back towards the door as hard as she could on the leash). But she seemed even worse after that, and hasn't left the corner of the couch or stopped making wheezing and coughing noises since then.

I don't want to disturb her, but as she will come over to me and cuddle next to my leg, I'll pick her up and hold her. She's skin and bones, much like Verona was when I got her (though even Verona wasn't in nearly this bad a shape). Her tiny chest rises and falls, her body shakes almost violently with each gasp and hock, and I find myself crying, feeling like the fate of the world is resting on my being able to take care of this tiny, beautiful dog.

As an oldest child especially, I wonder if Verona's feeling jealous or abandoned. I certainly hope not. I do all I can to show her we still adore her and love playing with her. She's the most important creature in my life--I've had dogs for years, but never have I seen such personality and unconditional love from a canine. I just hope to god that she doesn't get sick, too. But she's so strong and vivacious that, hopefully, she'll be just fine. And hopefully, Zelda will be too, and soon.

Zelda's going to the vet first thing in the morning. Cross your fingers.

A Furry Friend?

As I mentioned above, my boyfriend and I are thinking of getting a furry friend for Verona. Right now, I'm torn between the pound and rescue groups. Obviously, since Town Lake is a kill shelter, I'd prefer to adopt a dog from there; but the competition seems to be fierce for the small dog set. (Especially heartbreaking, since I met a German Shepherd mix there today whose sweetness and friendliness made me cry.)

So then there are rescue groups, but two years ago (just before I found Verona), I got turned down by one because, during my interview, I was asked if I would let the dog have access to all the rooms in the house, and my answer was unsatisfactory. I said that I might close the bedroom door because computer equipment, including wires and cords, were in there and I didn't want to endanger the dog. I was told that the organization preferred that the dog had full reign of the house, and that my application status didn't look good at that point. Alas.

So I'm on the wait list for a couple of critters at Town Lake and have sent some messages to 3-4 rescue groups. We'll see what happens. The fact that so many wonderful, loving creatures desperately need homes breaks my heart to the point of physical pain, but Verona's the most important thing in the world to me, and I want to make sure she and her future brother / sister are compatable.

And so it goes, I suppose...