Oh, I am so lucky, no, maybe my Alpha Dog personality has something to do with it, but I am the chosen one to tell tales about dogs we had, long before I was a twinkle in my daddy’s eye.
Earlier I told you about Momma’s Angel Dog Sir Teddy but what I left out was, Sir Teddy had a wife, Little Ms. Tammy who was day and night different from Teddy. Not all dogs come from happy spaces, not all dogs get to ‘live the dream’ but in the end, well Little Ms. Tammy did.
It was always a yearning of RIP Daddy to breed puppies. Now that they knew that American Eskimos were such perfect dogs, (better than me…I doubt that) they would buy a female and have a litter. Momma agreed half heartedly, worried that once the pups came, it would be hard to part with them. But Daddy prevailed and back they went to the same puppy mill Sir Teddy came from. Big mistake. Daddy told them why he wanted a female…and they had just the girlie for him. Momma told me, once you looked in to Tammy’s eyes, you were lost and felt you just could not leave her in this life of misery.
Now Ms. Tammy, although the runt of the litter, from a distance certainly was 100% American Eskimo but her teeth and jaw seemed ever so out of alignment. Her tail did not feather over her back like Sir Teddy’s because it was somehow curled, like a Piggy’s. Her fur was creamy rather than the brilliant white of a winter snow. Yet her sweet nature made up for all of her outward deficiencies. She was six months old and had lived in a barn the first couple of months, then put in an outside run with no shade in the hot sun, and no roof for shelter, when it rained. Her five aggressive male brothers systematically chased and brow beat her, alone, in pairs or together, as a flash mob. So Tammy tried to hide behind the water trough, the food dish, anywhere to avoid the general pop. Being in Solitary would have been a dream come true for this frightened puppy.
So even though Tammy was cowed, she also was smart enough to not shy away when Daddy and Momma were taken to the pen. She rushed over, stood on her hind legs, wagged her tail, licking their fingers through the wire fence. All of the brothers watched solemnly. They knew in their hearts they would never see Tammy again but this was not a good life for her. Any loud noise made her fearful, thunder and lightning left her with PTSD. In a way, the brothers were relieved to see any happy ending, even if it would not change their lot in life.
Yes, Momma says, it was in her eyes, pleading, please, please take me. Somehow Tammy knew at six months old, that finding a Forever Family would take longer and longer. Everyone wants a cute little puppy, not the full-grown dog.
As if under a spell Momma and Daddy rescued her, for a life so far removed, Tammy could not even imagine it. But there is more to be told. Stay tuned.
