Pup in the Machine


Every inch a wire fox terrier, a young dog takes measure of his life.


Sorry about the David Copperfield theft, but stories of abandoned dogs get to me. And you know, this is not a work of fiction. This is one dog's life. He's a great dog, too. Pico, who is a 19-month-old wire fox terrier about to join a new family, could be any one of us. Let's meet Pico and hear what he has to say.-- Nigel

Nigel: Welcome to Mr. Doodle's Dog, Pico.
Pico: Thank you, Nigel. I'm still getting accustomed to that name, you know. My name has been Cleveland since I can remember. But I'm willing to try out Pico if that suits my new family. You give up a lot when you're displaced, and a name ... well, what's in one, right?
Gimlet: I'm going on the record ... I like the name Cleveland. But Pico is nice, too.
Nigel: Pico, I understand you were probably born in a puppy mill. You had to be, since you were later bought in a Florida Petland. No legitimate breeder sells a puppy to a pet store. And your family bought you for $699, marked down from $799 because at 3 months old, you were getting too "old". Correct?
Pico: That's all true. I came with papers, but they were bogus. It's so easy to fool people with "papers". My so-called papers claimed I was open to registry with "United All Breed Registry and Pedigree Service." I think "registries" need to be investigated and regulated.
Nigel: And your family could have gone to a legitimate breeder and paid just a little more. You have chronic health problems, don't you, Pico? Pardon my asking, but I probably came from a puppy mill. I've had health concerns for years.
Pico: I understand.. I have ear infections and skin problems. My fur is sparse and I'm underweight. I've just been diagnosed with hypothyroidism. That means my gas is running low, I think. I'm probably going to have allergies throughout my life. But I'm taking medicine for that now, and I'm going to get some muscle and good skin tone. My fur will get better, too. I do have dry eye, or KCS, and that means my tear production is low. It also means I have a lifetime of twice-daily use of opthalmic ointment to look forward to. Or, I could go blind. Let's face it, Nigel. I'm always going to have enough health problems to keep a vet in business. You know how that is.
Nigel: Oh, I do. And to think that your family could have just gone to a breeder and paid a little more ... and if everyone avoided Petland and places like it, there would ultimately be healthier dogs out there.
Pico: My human family was of the military variety, and I think they really tried to understand me. They sent me to obedience and tried to work with me. But, I have the strong suspicion that they just didn't know what a wire fox terrier was all about. They expected me to be more obedient, I think, and conform. If they'd done any of the research a prospective puppy adopter should, they would have known that I was not the right breed of dog for them.
Gimlet: Or, you could say that they were not the right breed of human for you.
Nigel: Gimlet makes a good point. Wire fox terriers need humans with smarts, tolerance and a good sense of humor. Any family that would "buy" a puppy at a pet store, in the 21st Century, can't be that intelligent. And they're definitely uninformed.
Gimlet: They're as much a part of the problem of overbred and unhealthy dogs as puppy millers are.
Nigel: Adding a family member is a big decision. It's life-altering for all concerned, and it's a lifetime commitment. It makes me shudder when I hear people talk about "buying a dog" -- but I suppose that's an accurate indicator of their worldview and dog smarts.
Gimlet: When people want to add a dog to their family, they need to research. They can start with their local kennel clubs and get information on breeds, reputable breeders and even rescue organizations in their area. They can quickly do a "google" search using the breed name and "dog rescue."
Nigel: Or, they could research breed rescue through the American Kennel Club site.
Nigel: What happened next, Pico?
PIco: We moved from Florida to west Texas, near San Angelo. My family eventually had it with me. They said I was "too active" and not very much like a Labrador or a Golden Retriever ... and why would I be? Anyway, they dumped me in a kill shelter ... isn't that a funny term? A kill shelter ... they shelter you until you're killed. There are so many dogs that are taken to shelters, for all sorts of reasons, that the space is limited. Your time there is limited. At about 19 months, I was a typical rowdy wire fox terrier, full of life, who was going to be killed. Through no fault of mine.
Nigel: Yes, but then Rescue heard about you. Specifically, the San Angelo shelter person called Erin Orr, who is a member of American Fox Terrier Rescue. She is the rescue contact person for NW Texas.
Pico: Yes, Erin took me to her hone ... and I bunked in with a whole crew of dogs. Erin told me that I was very mellow and well-behaved for a wire fox terrier. Although I do admit to having an independent streak; what wire fox terrier doesn't? She gave me toys and treats and took me to the vet for my skin and eye problems. I began to think in more positive terms. Life was good again.
Nigel: So now you have a new name, and you're going to a new home and family.
Gimlet: Pico, you're very young to have experienced such peril and sorrow. What do you think of your life so far?
Pico: I have to think of myself as being lucky. So many other things might have happened to me. I could have languished with a family that didn't understand or appreciate me. And to have escaped with my life from a kill shelter ... most souls perish in one of those. There have been some caring people in my life ... the shelter worker who called Erin about me, and Erin ... and now I have a new family. They're waiting ... for me. Yes, I am very lucky.
Gimlet: Wooooooo!!! Good luck in your new home and life, Pico! Come back and talk with us after you've settled in!
Nigel: To quote Johnny Mercer and Harold Arlen ...
"Accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
Latch onto the affirmative
Don't mess with Mister-In-Between ..."
Gimlet: If we're going to sing, let's do it right. Where's Joe the Cat?





Posted: Tue - November 4, 2003 at 03:04 AM          

©