Hello everyone,
Well what an emotional few days I have had........There I was thinking that my final day on Gods Earth had arrived and lay in a horrid cage awaiting my turn for that final 'walkie'. Every time the door opened and those dreaded footsteps echoed around every corner of this place they called 'Death Row', we all whimpered with fear of what was to come and sadness of the loss through no fault of our own of our previous lives and loved ones. Yes we were all once happy dogs with wagging tails and hopeful grins on our faces but life brings changes and we all have a different story to tell yet the end result is that we are here... lost souls without hope. Isolated from members of the public who might have been our last hope....Despair....dark dark despair .......
I was due to be put down at 5pm, so when the door opened and the dreaded footsteps stopped outside my door at 4pm my heart felt as if it was going to stop too before it resumed its normal frightened beat. Just my luck to be picked early.
The helper clipped on my lead and smilingly led me past my fellow inmates....Smilingly? Seriously ?? How cruel can people be.... Then to my amazement we turned away from the corridor leading to the room that smelt of Death and the helper led me up to another smiling person who bent down and fondled my head....I flinched in fright...what kind of cruel trick was this?
" Come on Nellie" a kind voice whispered in my ear..." You are safe Baby Girl".....Hope flickered for a brief moment before I quashed it....Dogs on death row live without hope..you see....
However the door opened and the sun blinded me as I limped outside and across a car park before we stopped next to a open car door...
"In you get Old Girl' the voice coaxed me gently..... I looked back at that dreadful place and allowed myself to be loaded in the car enjoying the feel of the soft seat under my tired old body.
As we drove along the 'Voice' chattered away and explained that my picture had been posted on websites begging for someone to offer to foster me while a search for new parents for me was launched... AnimalMatters had found a couple offering to foster me and the 'Voice' was a volunteer who had offered to pick me up from Death Row and drive me to meet AnimalMatters founders Melissa and Scott Wu who would then take me to their vet who would check me over and hopefully mend my sore leg. The 'Voice' explained that I had a lot of wellwishers who had helped spread the word about my needing help and were avidly following my story. I listened carefully to the gentle sound of the 'Voice' but did not really feel hopeful... after all I may merely be being taken to another scarey place.
Finally we arrived at the Turnpike and a man and lady came rushing over to meet me...They insisted on taking me for a little potter about to stretch my legs and, and... well the look on their faces was one of love.... I began to feel safer..... overwhelmed yes...but safer..... don't ask me how...some people just have the gift of putting you at ease don't they? Melissa and Scott were those kind of people..
I willingly got in their car and with a last grateful glance back at the 'Voice' settled down for the next part of my journey. A short while later we pulled up at our destination and I was led into a Veterinary Clinic and bedded down in a cage.. Although I was still scared , funnily enough it was the normal dog at Vets kind of fear and not that heart stopping terrorising fear of that other place. The people were kind and gave me medication to help take away the aches and pains, then they took pictures of my leg... I wanted to give them my best side but they insisted that it had to be of my bad leg even if on my 2nd best side.....sigh..a girl has to try eh !
I spent days in the Vets clinic being bathed and ... gulp..weighed....(hey I am female !) Melissa came to visit me and took pictures of me ( Yes the good side! - I love you Melissa !! lol ) I made her day when she arrived and I wagged my tail tentatively.... yes we were becoming friends.... I had a friend again...someone to look forward to seeing each day. On our walks Melissa told me all about her plans to find me foster parents who would help me find my place in life again....then one day she told me that she and Scott were going to take me out for a Sunday afternoon drive at the forthcoming weekend and hopefully meet a couple who had offered to foster me. I listened politely but in all honesty once I heard we were meeting in Pizza Hut car park lost track of what Melissa was saying as I tried to decide what I would be ordering from the menu... hmmmm should I just pick a ladylike salad or go the whole hog (mmm hog) and have a fully loaded pizza to show them I am not a fussy eater....Melissa gave me a suspicious look and asked if I was listening carefully.... I gave her a guilty look and quickly wiped the drool on a nearby bush.... Sunday....wow.... I could not wait..... life is definitely looking up...in a few short days I have gone from utter despair to new born hope....funny thing about rescue dogs..given the chance we can bounce back...
GIVEN THE CHANCE...
My next tale will be about my meeting with my new foster parents....
Love Ellie xx
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