Well, today was different than the days that we have been spending lately as we had to make a trip to Bastrop Animal Shelter. That is where I was lucky enough to find both Mikey and Sandy although at different times a couple of years apart. Mikey is actually the oldest both in age and in joining our household which at the time comprised of Ginny, a mini Dachshund and Petey, a small Chihuahua He fit very nicely into the little group although he was the youngest of them. As time progressed both Petey and then Ginny passed into the Doggy Park up in the Sky leaving Mikey on his own which I knew we had to change. So back to Bastrop and luckily we found Sandy just waiting to join our family.
We have lived together as a happy family for nearly a couple of years since Petey passed and we try to do everything together if at all possible. The two of them have become great friends even though they do have different personalities. Mikey is very outgoing in many ways but suspicious of strangers. He is also very affectionate and needs a lot of attention. Sandy, on the other hand loves everybody human but hates other dogs that is until she touches noses and only then does she quieten down. Otherwise she embarrasses both me and Mikey by screeching at any other dog regardless of it’s size, at the top of her lungs. She doesn’t bark like a normal dog but really does screech. There is no other word for it. I am always full of apologies for her behavior to whoever the owner is of the dog she is screeching at and at the same time, like I said, totally embarrassed. Oh, yes, while all of this screeching is going on, Mikey is either desperately trying to jump up into my arms or is hiding behind me. I think he is embarrassed too. Most other dog owners understand and smile and comment as they pass by. Some will stop just so the dogs can make friends, or not, whichever the case may be. When I rescued Sandy, she had a bad case of Heartworm so we embarked on a course of treatment over the next few months at the Bastrop Clinic and finally, the Vet announce that she was all clear. Just before Petey passed on, he developed a bad case of coughing which turns out was related to his Heartworm and when I took him in to the Vet’s, he passed that same night.
Sandy started coughing a couple of days ago and I immediately thought of Petey and what happened in his case which got me worrying about Sandy. She didn’t act sick in any way and took both Mikey and I walking just as she normally does but the cough persisted. I made up my mind and as the following day was a Friday and knowing that the Clinic at the Bastrop Animal Shelter would be open, I decided that we needed to make the trip to get her checked. She needed her other Annual Vaccinations anyway and I figured we could get everything done at the same time. Incidentally, it was a round trip of 140 miles all on main highways and with not too much traffic. Mikey’s Vet is much closer and no more than 20 miles up the road from the Eagle but is also a lot more expensive. It would have cost me a couple of hundred dollars for the same treatment that Sandy had today and she got hers for less than $100.00.
The last time I was at this clinic, there was a long line of people and pets waiting to get shots or heartworm medicine which being almost a year ago, was just at the start of the Covid crisis. Today, there were just 3 people with their pets ahead of me so the actual visit did not take very long. Humans, other than the Staff, are not allowed inside the clinic with their pets and we had to wait outside as the Vet checked Sandy over and ran a few tests and gave her the rest of her shots. She eventually reported back and said that she was still Heartworm free but had a murmur in one of the valves of her heart but nothing of major importance. She assured me the cough would pass and true to her word, Sandy has not coughed since before we left on the trip. There is some medication she will need to take for the next week but it appears that everything should be fine.
One of the bonuses of the trip was getting to fill up the truck at an Exxon station located just outside of Bastrop in Cedar Creek. This station has the cheapest gas for miles around and it has always been this way. . In my case, it is diesel which today cost me just $2.50 a gallon. I didn’t require a full fill up and pumped around 30 gallons which is about half the capacity of the 60 gallon tank that I have had installed. So, I actually saved some of the cost of the journey which is good considering that I only get 17-18 mile to the gallon and that is without towing the Eagle, my Travel Trailer. Then it drops to around 10 mpg. My last fill up in Dripping Springs H.E.B. I paid $2.70 per gallon and it cost me $135.00 for a full fill up.
Both dogs are snoring their fool heads of as I write, probably worn out with the excitement of the trip and in Sandy’s case sore from the number of shots that she had. We have to go back next week for her Rattlesnake booster shot as the Vet had decided that she already had enough shots for one day. I got to talk to a few interesting people and got to meet their dogs and all but one of them wore a mask even as we waited outside.
As we walked back to the truck parked outside of Bastrop Animal Shelter Clinic, I could hear the other dogs in their cages and pens in the Shelter itself barking away and wished I could adopt everyone of them and give them a home and the love and attention that all dogs and cats deserve. But, I need to stay with the two small dogs that I have especially living in the small space of the RV.
Written 05/01/2021
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Sandy and Mikey are so lucky to have been adopted by you. They couldn’t have a better human!
No, you have it backwards. I’m the lucky one.
Dogs rock! Yours are awesome! 🙂 My Lola is part Dachshund and part Chihuahau. I donate $20 a month to the local shelter in honor of my deceased wife, Marla. She loved dogs and loved donating.
What’s not to love about a dog or two. They ask for nothing and give everything in return. Besides they are great companions