Dusty & Hobo

Having two older dogs (10 and 14 years), we had no intention of acquiring another until they crossed over the Rainbow Bridge. But, last June when my husband came back from getting the mail and said that there was a puppy hiding behind the neighbor’s garbage can, everything changed. We couldn’t just leave that puppy there. We are in a very rural area and people tend to race down our street.

It was pretty easy to get the puppy to come with us. It seemed like she was in basically good health. However, she was covered in fleas. I got out the flea spray and began to spray her with it. The fleas raced to her face and eyes to try and jump off before the spray got to them. After letting the spray do its work, a soaking bath and a dose of K9 Advantix made her clean enough to join the rest of the family. It was clear she was about 3 to 4 months old and happy to have a meal and some water.

Our older dogs gave her the once over and hoped she would leave. In a way, so did I. I wasn’t quite ready to have a puppy again after so many years. We advertised to the neighbors and everyone we knew in our area, but she’d obviously been dumped. We could have taken her to the shelter as her breeders should’ve done. However, I believe she was sent to us to care for and I couldn’t just give her away. We named her Dusty.

Being a puppy, she was a handful and extremely active. She pestered the older dogs. When she wasn’t bothering them, she expected us to play with her. It was obvious that she needed someone her own age as a companion.

Several months after we found Dusty, I happened to check the BCAS Friends website. The featured pet resembled Dusty in coloring and was a male. After checking his bio on Petfinder, we went to the Bastrop County Animal Shelter to see him. It took us a couple of trips, but Dusty finally got to see him. They seemed to get along okay even though both were pretty nervous in such a strange place with so many other dog smells. We took him home.

His name is Hobo. He was already housebroken. Best of all, though, he is the perfect companion for Dusty. They both enjoy playing together and long walks. They even curl up together on the couch or beds. Now, with Dusty and Hobo as companions, our older dogs can spend their retirement years napping!

~Marsha Poppy