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Rusty's Tale

  

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

 

It all began on a nice day about two months ago. My humans were walking me on a leash on the Main Street of Murphys and I thought we were having a very good time. Then all of a sudden they took off my leash, got in their car and drove away without me. Unfortunately, the witness to this cruel deed did not think to get their license plate number. I waited for them to come back, but they never did so I struck out on my own. It was kind of scary since I’m just a young pup, but I hoped to find someone to love me, if I couldn’t find the humans who forgot me.

I wandered the streets of Murphys, finding food and shelter where I could. I was seen by the park, hung out at the market, spent a lot of time in Murphys Diggins where many kind people gave me food and water, and visited Murphys Ranch subdivision, where I found many dogs to play with. I would only stay in one place for a very short time and kept my distance from people so it was hard for anyone to catch me.

While in Murphys Ranch I started seeing two ladies walking almost every day. They seemed nice enough, and tried to entice me with food to come closer but I remained aloof, finding it hard to trust anyone again.

I never knew where I would run into them - they would just appear out of the blue - but they were always happy to see me and even started calling me Rusty (that wasn’t my name, so I just ignored them for awhile). Last Friday they came with food, but when I passed it up, they mistakenly assumed that I had a home somewhere. Didn’t they realize that it was garbage pickup day, so I had just had a smorgasbord of treats?

Then on Monday morning, things changed. I was waiting for my walking ladies to appear, but this time there was only one. I decided to make my move. She was happy to see me and called me Rusty again (I’m OK with that name now). I walked right up to her and started to walk along with her, gradually getting closer and closer. After a few minutes, I bumped her hand with my nose. I was surprised when she didn’t hit me, so I bumped her hand again. She told me I was a good dog, and I got so excited I couldn’t contain myself. I jumped up and down with glee, almost knocking her down but still she didn’t get mad at me.

When we got to her house, she went inside to get some dog treats. I waited patiently at the gate for her to come back out and we went to finish our walk. When we got to a busy intersection and a car was coming, she stopped, and so I stopped too. She told me to “sit”. I wasn’t quite sure what that meant but I must have done it right, because she again told me I was a good dog and she gave me a treat. I took it very gently, not wanting to hurt my new friend. When we finished our walk, she went in her gate and told me that I couldn’t come in because she had two dogs who would be very upset if there was a strange dog in their yard. I waited for a long time for her to come back out, but finally gave up and went on my way.

Tuesday morning it was very wet and rainy. I waited for my walking ladies to appear, but they never did - they must be fair weather walkers. I hung out for most of the morning, then decided to head to town. I was trying to cross the busy highway at the pharmacy when a kind stranger appeared and tried to help me. I thought she just wanted to play, but she tried to put a leash on me which I wasn’t crazy about at all. Then another car pulled up to help - it was my walking friend from Murphys Ranch! I was so happy to see her that I wouldn’t leave her side. While the two humans debated their next move I laid down and nearly fell asleep. I was so tired but I knew I was in good hands.

Animal control was called, but they had been unsuccessfully trying to catch me for a month, so it was up to my rescuers to get me there. I put up a struggle but was eventually loaded into the kind stranger’s car for the trip to San Andreas. I looked out the window at my walking friend and she looked so sad…I think she felt that she had betrayed the trust she had earned from me. But I know that her plate is full right now with her own two dogs - one suffering from terminal cancer - and she can’t take on another dog at this point in her life.

But she did the best thing she could do for me. Although my chances of being adopted are slim in this economy, I couldn’t live much longer on the road. Last night I had the first warm bed in months and they even brought me dinner and breakfast. And it was so nice to have a roof over my head during that loud thunderstorm this morning. I think I have to take a few tests before I find out what will happen to me, but hopefully I pass those with flying colors and maybe one of the kind souls who helped me when I was on the lam in Murphys will come through with a new, loving forever home for me…

 

RUSTY (with a little help from Nancy McArthur)

 

A happy ending! Rusty was adopted by a wonderful person in Murphys, who read this story in the Calaveras Enterprise. There are still many dogs with similar stories that are awaiting their forever homes and happy endings. If you are in a position to add a dog to your family, please adopt!