Three years ago this month, I met Dewey for the first time at the animal shelter where I used to work in Washington. I had just returned from vacation and was settling back into my office when a coworker asked if I had seen the little dog that looked “just like Greta.” At this point, we had no intention of adopting a second dog, but of course my curiosity was peaked. I asked another colleague in the admissions department if we had recently received a Dachshund and she replied “Oh…you mean the one with three legs?” Well, you can probably imagine the look of surprise and interest that crossed my face! After learning that Dewey was a tripod, I knew I had to meet him.
The picture above is from the day I first saw him. The poor little guy was in really rough shape. He wasn’t neutered and had a bad case of fleas, terribly overgrown toenails, bald patches on his ears, and a mouth full of rotten teeth. All that was known about him was that he was picked up as a stray in Spokane with a collar reading “Duke.” From the look of things, he had been fending for himself for quite a while.
Many people believe that animals choose us, and it was most definitely true in this case. As soon as I cracked open the kennel door, Dewey jumped right into my arms and clung on for all he was worth. All of my resolve melted and I was instantly smitten! Several days later he came home as our foster dog…
It didn’t take long for us to realize that the name Duke just didn’t fit our new pooch, and plus, I didn’t want to continue any associations with his sad past. So in the course of just a few days, Duke became Dewey, Greta gained a brother, and we discovered the amazing world of tripod dogs!
Based on Miss Tulip's enthusiasm for baths, puddles, streams, creeks, and her kiddie pool, I've been harboring a hunch that she is a water dog at heart. This was confirmed last weekend when she finally got the chance to take her first real swim at Pyramid Lake in Northern Nevada. With help from my niece, she took to the water like a fish, and we could hardly get her back on dry land. Stay tuned for photos from more swimming adventures, since they are sure to be frequent!
Three years ago this month, I met Dewey for the first time at the animal shelter where I used to work in Washington. I had just returned from vacation and was settling back into my office when a coworker asked if I had seen the little dog that looked “just like Greta.” At this point, we had no intention of adopting a second dog, but of course my curiosity was peaked. I asked another colleague in the admissions department if we had recently received a Dachshund and she replied “Oh…you mean the one with three legs?” Well, you can probably imagine the look of surprise and interest that crossed my face! After learning that Dewey was a tripod, I knew I had to meet him.
Pit Bulls have been making headlines after the terrible fatal dog mauling of Darla Napora in Pacifica, CA last week, and unfortunately, the press around this tragedy has fueled the misguided hysteria and hatred that plagues Pit Bulls. Although the un-neutered dog that killed Darla has been referred to a as Pit Bull from the start, he apparently weighed 125 pounds. As Pittie parents know, this is almost unfathomable. Tulip barely tops 40 pounds, and it's difficult to imagine even the most massive male Pit weighing three times that. My hunch is that Darla's dog is being misidentified as a Pit Bull, when it's much more likely that he was some sort of Pit mix or perhaps a different breed/mix altogether.
Most people assume that Suzie is a Pit Bull. However, when she was tested, her breed was determined to be Boxer, Dalmation, and Border Collie. It just goes to show that you can’t judge a book, a person or a dog by their cover.
Posts
