Fur Ball

On Friday morning we got in our pickup truck and set out on a journey to an unknown destination. We had no plan and no real direction. We certainly didn't know that this journey would forever change the path of our lives.

With my husband at the wheel, we pulled up to an SPCA in a nearby town. My husband suddenly found the need for a dog. As much as I loved animals and dogs, I had grown tired of getting attached to them only to have something dreadful happen to them. He opened the door and we entered the facility with no expectation but one desire. On our bucket list was to find one small dog to take camping with us. A companion, not just a dog!

After advising the attendant of what we were looking for, he directed us to a closed door. Opening the door led down a long hallway of cages and barking dogs. There were large dogs galore and fat ones too, but the only small dog sat at the very end of the line. He wasn't particularly handsome but cute in a homely way. His eyes were very sad but said a lot to me. My husband and I walked back out to where the attendant was. After describing to him which one we were interested in, he took off down the long hallway and came back with the little lonely pup at the end of the line.

The dog was for my husband I kept telling myself, but when the dog came to me first it was love at first sight. He was a wiry black dachshund with piercing black eyes. You would only be able to identify him by the whites of his eyes in a dark room. He began licking me like he was begging for attention. The cold place I had in my heart was beginning to feel warm and fuzzy. My husband took one look at him at this point and said: “Yep, he's a woman's dog alright!”

What's a girl to do? We filled out the papers and my husband jokingly told the attendant he would give him three dollars for him. He said well I can't do that but you can have him for five! My husband could not get the money out of his pocket fast enough.

We walked back to our truck with a dog in hand for the thirty-minute drive back home. His name was Roco and we didn't change it. My fingers quickly found a home in his long wavy coat. I could not believe we were taking home a dog again. He was already housebroken they said. When we walked into our house, he sniffed around the house but quickly made himself at home in my lap when I sat down. He was a lovable creature. The first few days he stayed at my side.

We bought him toys and dog food like good fur parents should. It became very apparent he was a picky eater when he walked to his bowl, sniffed, and walked away. We found out the hard way however that he wasn't as healthy as the SPCA had indicated. Within a month he became very sick and lethargic. I got up one morning and he was barely moving. We rushed him to our veterinarian who after examining him indicated that he had a very serious parasite but it was treatable. It was weeks before he appears to actually feel better. After some research, I found out that he most likely acquired the disease while confined. We gave him medication during this time as well as anything homeopath that we could find to help bring his autoimmune system into balance.

Within a few months the scrawny little pup we acquired started to gain weight. Just when we thought he was out of danger, we found out he was allergic to some chemicals in flea collars. I bought a flea collar and put on him after seeing a few on him. Nothing abnormal about that I thought. The next morning I was up and in my chair, he comes from his bed and jumps up in my lap with his neck all bloody. I screamed at my husband and he grabbed him and again we rushed him to the vet. The vet gave him a shot and told us not to put anything on his neck except when taking him outside.

It seemed like we were on a path of destruction with this little guy. He became so attached to me that he developed separation anxiety syndrome. If I get up to walk, I hear tiny little footsteps behind me. When I sit down, this ball of fuzz lunges onto my lap. When we would leave him and come back, he frantically jumped up and down and seemed to talk to us to express how glad he was to see us. He bounced from one piece of furniture to another as we walked around the room until I picked him up and showed him some love.

This guy had already been through a lot. We had gotten him in March and his world had already been shaken up several times. He soon proved his worth. In mid-October at 3 AM, he woke us up to a

house full of smoke. He woke my husband up and then me. Waking up and realizing the house was on fire, my husband attempted to put out the fire while I threw clothes on and grabbed Roco with one hand and called 911 with the other.

By the time the firefighters got there, the main fire was out but there was a fire in the wall that they put out. They said Roco was the only reason we all survived. He did not seem to suffer any inhalation problems but was glad to get out of the house.

Since the fire, needless to say, he gets anything he wants. He is the most loving creature I have ever seen. It was obvious for some reason it was meant for us to rescue him and in return he rescued us. This little guy offers not only unconditional love but a strong sense of security. He seems to know when we are not feeling well and is very protective of us with strangers.

While Roco has had some medical issues since then for now at least he appears to be very healthy and fat! He likes to play with his toys particularly if his fur daddy is playing with him. He just likes to cuddle with me and gives me lots of hugs. He's not just a dog but an extension of our loving household.