Oh boy...what a weekend.
Short Story:
We may be adopting another Siberian Husky.
Long Story:
G's mom found her roaming the neighborhood in the 100+ degree heat last week. It took a few days, but finally, yesterday the dog came up to Mom B. and allowed her to take care of her. Sundays are "family dinner" nights, so G and I ended up meeting the dog last night...she's a black and white GORGEOUS young husky - we estimated her to be about 6 months old.
Of course, when we first met her, she was exhausted from the heat and very, very hungry, but also affectionate and not afraid of new people. She LOVED the sprinkler and welcomed getting cooled off by a summer hose-down. Once she got settled, she found an appetite and ate quite a bit of food. As the evening progressed, she got much perkier and curious, very at ease with us, and with Mom B.'s two shelties. We sensed that she was highly, highly adaptable and very easy going. Not at ALLLL as hyper as I've witnessed in other huskies, so she may be a freak of nature - a calm, well-adjusted husky. Then again, she may have been "calm" due to being disoriented and hungry, it was hard to tell.
After dinner, we all decided to let her into Mom B's house to see how the pup reacted indoors. She came inside, sniffed around a lot, found a rawhide bone and promptly laid down on the floor, going to work on the bone as if the house was her own. -Obviously, this dog has been pampered during her life so far, and she does well both inside and out...she's definitely house-broken.
*sigh*
I've already named her Lily.
The Dog's Story
"Lily's" coat was in PERFECT condition, and she wasn't emaciated or shy, so we concluded that somebody was missing her. Mom B's neighbor posted "found" signs [because she was helping feed and coax her into safety, along with Mom B. last week] all over the area, because that's the right thing to do. We all decided that if nobody claimed her, either we'd become her home, or we'd help Mom B. find her a good home. G's sis, Lissa was pretty close to adopting her, too, but her dog is too neurotic to have a new sister introduced into the pack.
Last night, Mom B's neighbor got a call from the owner's wife. "I'm the owner of that dog, and you can have it. I don't want it back. My husband loves that dog, and I'm sick of how much attention he pays to it. He's been out of town, so I let the dog go. Where are the other signs? I want to take them down, because I don't want him to see them posted when he gets back into town."
I mean...I KNOW people are scum, but....you really only see this kind of tripe on "Animal Cops" or Jerry Springer. I was absolutely astounded.
So here we are with this precious dog, knowing that this man's heart is going to be broken by his C-U-Next-Tuesday of a wife. I personally would rather spare "Lily" from being anywhere NEAR a woman like that - I'm sure it wouldn't be long now before the dog would start getting abused by her - but...damn, should the husband even be notified of this?
I'm not even sure if Mrs. B's neighbor saved the woman's number, so this may not even be an issue anymore. But...if she DOES have the phone number, would YOU try to rat the bitch out, or would you just accept it as "fate" that the dog happened upon you?
Turns out, the number on neighbor lady's caller ID was "unknown," so we can't trace the call back to notify the husband, even if we'd wanted. I think that this dog had a grim future ahead of her as long as this horrible woman was around, so...maybe this is just the way it's supposed to happen?
Our Game Plan
Here's the thing. MacReady is getting to the end of his life span. He's healthy for 17, and it wouldn't surprise us if he lived to be 20, but it's also possible that he won't. It seems like "Lily" could be the one that we're meant to have once MacReady has left us. Then again, it could just be coincidence that "Lily" came into our lives at this moment...it's just so odd that a husky would walk into our lives at this point, AND that she's a well cared for puppy, AND a very "mellow" husky.
The HUGE "X-Factors" right now are, 1. Will MacReady and "Lily" get along? 2. How will she react with the cats?
We're going to let her stay with us this weekend from Friday evening through Sunday, then depending on how things work out, let her stay back at Mom B's until we've made a decision. The "bitch lady" told neighbor that she was about to get the dog spayed, and decided to "let her go" before spending more money on her.
My plan is to keep the cats in their own rooms when we introduce "Lily" and MacReady this weekend. That way, when the dogs are back outside together, the cats will come out into the house and smell her presence long before they meet her face to face. She'll also smell the cats around the house before they meet.
Of course when she meets the cats, she'll be on a leash first - just in case she thinks they're "food" and tries to chase them. Since she's so young, she'd succeed in catching them - unlike MacReady, who's just too old to care about the cats anymore. He's also used to them by now. I feel like if we were able to get MacReady and the cats to coexist pretty peacefully, we'll be able to do it with "Lily" too.
Really, it's going to be up to MacReady. We want him to be happy in his last years. We really want her to be a balance for him...we're hoping he'd welcome the company, and that her presence would curb some of his obsessive tendencies, like literally running around the yard ALL DAY in the summer heat. I think he may find comfort in having an "actual" pack member with him when we're at work during the day, and when he sleeps outside in the evenings. I've seen how calm and sweet she is inside, and even with two other dogs, she was fantastic...so I'm not worried about them tearing the house apart when we spend time with them inside.
Time will tell.....
I hope that it works out, because "Lily's" the last thing I thought about last night when I went to bed, and the first thing I thought about when I woke up....I think I've already fallen for her, but...it's not up to me...it's truly up to MacReady...
Time will tell...
Final Update
Mom B. said that Lily slept like an ANGEL outside last night, and that the thunder this morning didn't bother her at all. She didn't dig or chew on the fence, and she didn't even CRY when she was put outside. She's been both inside and out today, along with the two shelties, and Mom B. said that she does well in both situations. I just hope this will be the case at our house this weekend, too! Mom B. said that if we adopt Lily, she'll pay to get her spayed......
Again, time will tell...
I may end up visiting Lily this week!
