Doggie Heaven II

After I had gone off to college,

the last of "The Big Coppitt Trio,"

Skeeter, passed away. I was so

heartbroken to know I would

return to only my Mo Cat.

On a Friday before I was to

leave and go home on break,

some girls from the dorm and

I went to the mall. Of all things,

in the middle of the mall, the

Humane Society had some dogs

that needed homes. One of the girls

said this was the dogs last chance

and would probably be put down

if not adopted. My heart broke

again as I went up looking at

all of the beautiful faces of

dogs. One in particular caught

my attention. She was a basset

dachshund mix. She had such

a sadness in her eyes and not

much of a response when I

talked to her. No eye contact,

no tail wagging; in fact she

just lay her head back down

and ignored me. But she had

a beauty about her I just

couldn't explain. I told the

attendant I would take her.

The girls giggled in response!

"Susie, You can't take her

to the dorm!" I replied that

it would be for only a night!

*

It was amazing, the change in

her personality as soon as she

was released from the wire

kennel she was housed in.

She stood up on the side of my

leg stretching, her tail wagged

like a butterfly's wings, she let

out a yawn followed by a vocal

slide from soprano to base! I

then saw her true personality

break out of its darkness of

depression.

*

When we got back to the dorm,

the girls mentioned that she

didn't smell very good. I told

them, "I'll take care of that."

I quickly took her into the

bathroom and used some of

my bath gel and scrubbed

her good. All she wanted to

to do was play in the water!

When I was finished, I couldn't

believe the ring around the

bathtub!

*

I didn't call mom and dad with

the surprise I was bringing home.

I had a 220 mile drive which took

about 5 hours down the two laned

road through the Keys. My new

pup seemed to enjoy it from the

start by rolling all over the

carpet I had in the back of my

station wagon. She soon went

to sleep as the wind whirled in

one window, around and out the

back.

*

Upon reaching home, my first

greeting was, "Look who I have

brought! I know you missed Skeeter

so much, I just couldn't resist

this beauty in the mall the day

before I left to come home! I

named her Dumplins; because

mom likes chicken & dumplings

so much!"

I couldn't understand the blank

look on their faces. It dawned

on me when I left a week later

going back to college when mom
asked, "You're taking your dog
aren't you?"

*

When I came home for the summer,

mom and dad had bonded with

this cute little dog. I then found
out from mom all she had to do;
feeding, potty training, shots, and
a mild case of kennel cough they
had to go through with visits to
the vet.
*
All in all this little dog proved to
be a sweet, adorable little dog
that loved to lay aside you in the
easy chair as you laid it back to
watch t.v. She especially liked
to be next to dad.
*
It was at this time that we
acquired Rookie from Jim and
Nellie. They could no longer

keep Rookie due to his aggression

toward baby Scottie...his story is

to come next.