Mulli of the MidWest

Dogsitting Distress

Mom and Dad are undergoing severe stress this weekend as they Dogsit for neighbors. Mom and Dad have taken firm, resolute vows, to never, ever, not on anyone's life to ever dog sit again. Yet, somehow, they became roped in. It was one of those, oh, our sitter cancelled, and our one dog is so old she cannot possible stay at a kennel, and Mom is sick to her stomach with worry now and will undoubtedly get a horrible five day migraine.

This deep aversion to dogsitting began some 12 years ago, before Little Lad was even a large check in the Specialist's wallet. Mom and Dad were asked to dog sit for a dog wrongly given the name: "Serene." Serene was anything but calm (or pleasant.) Serene began to run away the instant that she began her stay at Mom and Dad's home.

Mom was in bed with a migraine. Serene was let into the fenced back yard (old house, not the Mulligan Compound, the Samson Compound.) She hopped the fence. Dad left Middle Lad, who was but a toddler, inside the house to chase Serene. Middle Lad took that opportunity to display his new found skill of climbing, and perched himself upon the kitchen table. There Middle Lad found an almost empty glass, with just a few remaining drops, of MILK. Dad returned home, breathless, with Serene. Dad found Middle Lad upon the table and put Middle Lad in the corner for a time out as punishment. As Dad was holding the crying Middle Lad, he realized that Middle Lad was getting LARGER. Hmm. Even Dad could figure out something was not right. No child should grow that fast. Middle Lad was at that time severely allergic to milk and was rapidly becoming the size of one of the balloons that are flown at the Macy's parade. Mom was roused and emergency help was found for Middle Lad.

Pity, in these economic times, the money made from flying Middle Lad in parades could have been quite useful.

Conveniently, Dad then left for several days. Serene continued to run away every time a door at the Samson Compound was opened. Until her last attempt. Mom still remembers the call to Dad at midnight.
Dad: "Middle Lad had another food reaction."
Mom: "No."
Dad: "Oldest Lad broke something."
Mom: "No."
Dad: "Serene ran away and got hit by a car."
Mom: "Yes."

Serene survived. In fact, she was a much nicer dog after recovering from her near-fatal head injury.

Dog sitting saga two.

The family now lived in the Pre-Mulligan Compound. Another set of neighbors requested dog-sitting services. Mom said "NO!" but Oldest Lad had already accepted the key and had gleaming dollar signs in his teenage eyes. The week seemed to go well. Oldest Lad played daily with the dog, Sydney, until the last, when he came home and made the strange comment: "Sydney is awfully lazy today." Mom and Dad probed for further details. "Well, how lazy, do you mean by lazy?," as panic began to fill their minds. Dad went to the neighbors house, and well, a dog very near death is well, pretty darn lazy. Dad rushed poor Sydney off to the Emergency Vet Clinic. The prognosis was grim. Poor old Sydney had a very large liver mass that had suddenly burst. The vet attempted to keep Sydney alive until the owners returned home, but she eventually succumbed.

Mom, Dad, and Oldest Lad were forlorn and in tears. Mom vowed NEVER, EVER to dog sit again.

Now, this weekend. Oh, Mom is certain that this is actually a fiendish plot by these neighbors to "do in" their old dog. Yes, their Old Dog has been "on the verge" now for nigh on a year. Mom is certain that the owners simply cannot face the thought of actually taking the poor dog to the vet themselves, so came up with this plot of having Mom and Dad dogsit. Yes, with full knowledge of Mom and Dad's dogsitting history, Mom is certain that these neighbors think this is the easy way out. The neighbors will come home to some dogsitting tragedy brought on simply by having Mom and Dad dogsit. Then instead of having to explain to their children about how they had to take the dog to the vet for euthanasia, it can all be blamed upon Mom and Dad. All that is left is of course the details of what shall happen.