semanticnoise.com » Dogs http://www.semanticnoise.com A personal website of a person with a website: James McMurry Thu, 12 Aug 2010 17:32:31 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Shady Might Be Four http://www.semanticnoise.com/2010/02/shady-might-be-four/ http://www.semanticnoise.com/2010/02/shady-might-be-four/#comments Thu, 11 Feb 2010 20:18:06 +0000 jmcmurry http://www.semanticnoise.com/?p=139 Continue reading →]]> Yesterday was the day we decided to call Shady’s birthday. She’s considered four, though she’s really a Permanent Puppy, and those are ageless.

Shady has a sweet face

One year ago yesterday, we miraculously got her back after this sequence of events:

  • Horrible life with previous owner (she lived under a bed for a year)
  • Return to the Humane Society
  • A couple of months alone in a visiting room with little attention (the main kennel was too stressful)
  • Nine days as a foster dog with Molly and Tess
  • Twelve hours placed with a potential adoptive home
  • One stupid decision by that potential adoptive home to put a special needs dog alone in a backyard with a crappy fence
  • Three weeks on the street in and around Cooper-Young in below-freezing temperatures, apparently including a few trips to some truly scary neighborhoods
  • A heart-stopping moment where we followed up a great tip from someone who saw one of our 200 signs and we actually laid eyes on her
  • A frustrating couple of hours of being chased by us and neighborhood kids around train tracks and abandoned scrap yards (she was too scared and freaked out to come to us)
  • Three days of being actively hunted by us around the clock
  • A full-on canvassing effort by several generous Humane Society dog-walking colleagues to locate and help catch her
  • Me seeing her cornered in a mess of scrap metal, climbing down in there, picking her up, and handing her to Molly

And now, she’s a wonderful, happy, well-adjusted snugglepuppy.  Her meds certainly help, as does being part of a pack in a protective and loving environment. She sleeps between the pillows in her puppy pocket, she snores and grunts and yawns like a beagle, she chases Tess around a huge (and extremely secure) backyard, and most of all, she truly seems to enjoy her life.

A life that started all over, one year ago yesterday.

Shady has a sweet face Shady, Maggie, and Tess Shady flies through the air, chasing a toy Maggie snuggles with Shady, Shady snuggles with Molly

Photos: Steven Bryant

]]> http://www.semanticnoise.com/2010/02/shady-might-be-four/feed/ 5 Pearl’s Birthday http://www.semanticnoise.com/2009/09/pearls-birthday/ http://www.semanticnoise.com/2009/09/pearls-birthday/#comments Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:45:21 +0000 jmcmurry http://www.semanticnoise.com/?p=110 Mama dog is reckoned to be 10 today.  She’s the boss.  She still acts like a puppy.

Pearl lounges. Pearl hordes objects of her affection. Pearl suns herself.

Why do we call her Peach?  Because she’s round and fuzzy and all sweet on the inside.

]]> http://www.semanticnoise.com/2009/09/pearls-birthday/feed/ 0 The Vet http://www.semanticnoise.com/2009/06/the-vet/ http://www.semanticnoise.com/2009/06/the-vet/#comments Mon, 01 Jun 2009 13:37:31 +0000 jmcmurry http://www.semanticnoise.com/?p=85 Two different approaches to a vet visit.

]]> http://www.semanticnoise.com/2009/06/the-vet/feed/ 0 Pearl Sleeping, NYD 2009 http://www.semanticnoise.com/2009/01/pearl-sleeping-20090101/ http://www.semanticnoise.com/2009/01/pearl-sleeping-20090101/#comments Sat, 03 Jan 2009 23:09:11 +0000 jmcmurry http://www.semanticnoise.com/?p=12 All that partying got the best of her…

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