I’ve always thought I have done pretty good in the patience department.  When it comes to waiting for something you really want, it seems like time slows down. 😀  Current status on the surgery is that I’m still waiting to hear from the insurance company for approval.  Hopefully it’ll come any day now.  I was told by insurance that it usually took between 7 to 10 business days.  I contacted them after 12 business days to see if it had been sent back and they told me it was still under review.  That was 3 days ago.  I’m not going to bother them again, I’m just going to sit back and wait.  It’ll come.  I don’t need the surgery RIGHT NOW, I’ll just feel better once it’s on the calendar and scheduled.  Then I can stop worrying about it.

SO – As you probably saw on my Facebook…..I took in a stray dog.  I had thrown some old bread over the deck for the birds or squirrels.  As I was working in my office I saw a dog come up and start eating up all the bread.  No big deal, whatever.  I get dogs and cats through my back yard all the time.  When I really looked at the dog though, I saw her rib and hip bones sticking out and it just pulled at my heartstrings!  I was like “OMG!  That dog is starving!  That poor thing!!!”  I opened the door and out tried to get the dog to come inside.  She looked sideways at me and kept eating…..she was jumpy, all over the place.  I didn’t want to go try to grab her while she was eating, so I just kept trying to get her to come to me.  When she ate all she could find, she ran off.  I was like “Oh, well, what can I do?”  Few seconds later, she was back, looking for more food….poking her nose around the leaves.  I had just eaten lunch, so I held down my empty plate and said, “Come here!”  That got her attention and she followed the plate into the room and I closed the door.  She just licked the plate……I went upstairs and got the rest of my still good bread and gave it to her and she ate it just as fast as I handed it to her.

I called my Grandma and told her what I had done.  She was like “Don’t give her cat food!” (which is what I probably would’ve done, because that is all I have)  She told me it’d make her sick and she’d bring me over some dog food for her.  SO – she came over with some food and a leash.  I asked her to sit with the dog as I showered, which she did.  I took the dog to the vet to see if she was chipped.  No such luck.  I’ve taken in a dog in the past and she wasn’t chipped either.  THAT dog, I ended up giving to my grandma….that was before she had collected all her other stray animals.  (she now has a house full)  The dog had a rabbies vaccination tag on and a worn collar.  The vet said most tags have the # of the clinic it was given at so you can track the owner that way, but without that, there wasn’t a way to track it.  They thought it was strange there wasn’t a phone # on there.

The dog would be a WONDERFUL pet for someone.  She’s done really good.  We’ve had a couple of accidents in the house when I’ve mis-read her wanting out.  That is never fun. (Ick)  But EVERY time I take her out, she goes to the bathroom and she’s really good on a leash, doesn’t pull, walks with you.  Is ready to go right back in once she goes to the bathroom.  She didn’t bother my cats, even though they hate her.  So she was defiantly someone’s pet and listens pretty good.  Last night though she snapped at my cat Neko.  It was pure jealousy.  She’s already that attached to us.  She saw that he was getting loving from us and she didn’t like it.  Though, Neko is the same way.  He’s a jealous cat, so they clash.  Ha ha.  Of coarse when she snapped, I yelled at her and she got those puppy dog eyes.

We’ve been constantly with her though since we brought her in.  She gets separation anxiety.  She’ll whine if I even shut her out to go to the bathroom.  We tried to put her in the garage last night and had to eventually bring her back upstairs, because she was whining and tearing at the door and howling.  She’d done really good in the bedroom and let us sleep through the night.  We just can’t keep her.  We feel bad, because she’s such a great dog and will be a great pet, but it’s just too much for us.  I can’t bring myself to drop her off at the pound like my husband suggested.  I REALLY want to give her to someone I know, but if I can’t find anyone, I’m going to have to find some place to take her.  It’s going to break my heart to do it, but it needs to be done.  I don’t NOT like dogs, I’m just not a dog owner.  I feel bad even saying it, but I’m not. I made a vet appointment tomorrow to get her current on shots and bathed and treated for fleas.  Then I can have that paperwork, plus info on the dog to give to anyone that might want to take her.  Can figure out if she’s healthy and how old she is and how much she weighs, etc.

Year end is approaching quickly and I’m really stressing out with work.  It’s been a strange year with lots of changes.  I have too much to do before year end and I feel like I don’t have a lot of direction.  I can’t believe that tomorrow is already DECEMBER!  Where has this year gone???