Dogster

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Her Name Was Lola, She Was A Showgirl

Life on the Road

In the beginning, when Lola was new to our home, she spent a lot of time creating new escape holes in the fence to better explore her new neighborhood. For the most part, these jaunts didn't take her far -- down the road, to the creek, into the really dense part of the woods -- and we could always track her down by her signature beagle yelp. We tried not to take it personally, knowing that coming to live with us, and with Burt, was a big adjustment for such an independent gal. In her previous home she had spent all her time outside, and at our house, dogs sleep indoors (okay, full disclosure: dogs sleep in the people bed.)

One day, shortly after Lola had been spayed, she really took off. It was the beginning of a rainy Memorial Day weekend and we couldn't find her anywhere. Still wearing her cone from the surgery and her brand new collar, we knew she didn't look like a stray; but despite all our flyers and signs and calls to the police department, no information was forthcoming. It didn't help that the weather was awful and no one would be hanging out outside. A few days passed in panic, busy effort, hope, and then a couple days of creeping depression.....we began to believe that Lola was just another vixen who had gone with the wind. Then, just when it seemed time to resign ourselves to a beagle-less future, a call from a local handyman: he had spotted Lola in a yard about 3 miles to the north. We jumped in the car and drove right out. And there she was, snacking on some friendly family's leftovers, sporting a Wendy's bag on her foot, and divested of the vet's pesky Elizabethan collar. Happy to see us, yes -- but not nearly as happy as we were.