Wednesday was amazing, and not at all what I expected. I guess you hardly ever get amazing from what you expect. The day started with thunderstorms, and more predicted, so I figured that Hanah was not likely to come out of her hiding place. My thought was that if it stopped storming for very long she would be sleeping after the storm would no doubt keep her up all night.

So Lynn and I went knocking around Grove, my only real chance to see the town I had been staying just outside of all week. We had a nice time and I scored a pair of skinny jeans with sequin peace symbols on the back pockets for $10. so I considered that a success.

I began to feel that I should go to the park in Joplin, even if I couldn't be there for long, just to check, make an appearance, and see if the bacon I left Tuesday was still there. I drove through some fairly heavy rain but by the time I got to Joplin there was no reason not to stay a while. I was sitting in the park, near the bridge, listening to the Christian rock radio station, which I had found because it was the same frequency as WPR back in Wisconsin, and that was the station Mom's radio was on! Anyway, I had previously been a bit bored with the station because they seemed to play the same 6 songs over and over, but then I was hearing a song I had not heard before (or since). The chorus just kept saying over and over “turn around, turn around, turn around”, so I said “Alright, already!” and turned to look out the rear window, expecting to see Hanah coming out of the woods or something, but there was nothing unusual there. So I started up the car, turned it around, and drove out onto the road. I drove the next block and came to an intersection where I had to go right or left and went right. No particular reason in my head, I just did. Almost immediately I saw a boxer dog in the parking area, under the trees by a creek almost directly across the street from me. When I looked closer I saw 2 Boston terriers along with her. I pulled in without getting out of the car and the 3 dogs moved farther away from me, but settled under a tree. They made themselves so small that if you had not seen them go under that tree you would have thought they were rocks if you could see them at all.

I called Lisa and told her what I had found. She was very excited, thinking it might be an adult boxer they had not been able to capture 3 days before and had not seen since. I was advised to be extremely cautions because this dog was very skittish. Since it was going to be some time before anyone could arrive to help, I consulted with Milana, who said she had seen a Boston terrier, but dismissed it as unrelated to Hanah. She described the dogs perfectly. When I got off the phone with Milana, I very slowly opened my car door. I moved around to the trunk and pulled out a blanket, bowl and water, and slowly moved around to the front of the car, spread the blanket on the ground, poured water into the bowl and set it down some distance toward them, between us. They did not move while I did all this, although I was sure they were watching me. Several times I moved around, always slowly and calmly, and it was clear they did not consider me a threat. Eventually I remembered that although I had no food, I did have a fry pan I had used the day before to fry bacon, which I had not yet washed. I set it on the ground beside the water and backed off.

It didn't take long for the boxer to investigate. She was just a puppy, maybe half grown, with horrible skin, little fur left, and enough fleas to open flea circus franchises all over the country. She was very friendly and soon came over to check me out. She was enjoying having me petting her and talking to her, and she even followed me to the car a couple of times, but would not get in and leave her friends. Twice the alpha of the group, one of the Boston terriers, came within 10 feet of me, but it was obviously to call her friend back to the tree.

The second Boston Terrier was not using her right rear leg at all, so I feared she had a serious injury to it. Eventually help arrived and I had already gotten a leash on the boxer. She was sleeping beside me on my blanket.

Cindy and her friend (sorry, I didn't catch the friend's name, but she drove Cindy to where I was) brought canned dog food and a kennel. Our boxer pup was very happy to have food and less happy to be put into a kennel, but she was secure. Then we started to attempt to get hold of the other 2. One thing I know, when you chase a dog, whether it's a stray or your own pet, it will run. Man, did these dogs run! Even the gimpy girl took off like a shot. Before I knew it there were 2 more vehicles besides Cindy and her friend, and 3 people got out and just stated running after them. They were GONE! I didn't blame the dogs at all.  I'd have run, too. None of the rest of us had any idea who these people were or what their purpose was, but we didn't have a good feeling about them. Finally they gave up the chase and sped away before we could talk to them. I was so grateful that they did not catch the poor little dears.

Cindy and her friend left to get the boxer to a very dedicated veterinarian (again I did not get the name, but wish I had!) and they left me with a bowl of canned dog food and wishes of good luck. Michele and her husband had also stopped to help and after some enlightening conversation, they also left and at last I was alone with the dogs and able to help.

The dogs had come back once the coast seemed clear, and since they were already comfortable with my car, and to some extent me, it was a simple matter of approaching as if I didn't notice them until they began to move away, then stop and put the bowl down and walk away. I repeated this process several times until I was finally sitting on the ground about 4 feet from Alpha girl with the food between us.

Finally they showed interest in the food. Here's where it gets interesting. Alpha girl tasted the food, ate a little of it, then backed off and let her friend eat her fill. By this time I was close enough to see that she had a lot of scars on her face, side, and legs and feet. I don't know what her story was, but it was no wonder she didn't want to trust people. When Limping Girl finished eating, she moved away just a foot or two and settled in to rest while Alpha Girl finished the food. I was so touched by how they cared for each other, all 3 of them. It was getting a little late and thunder was beginning to roll, but this did not seem to upset them much and I was reluctant to leave them alone overnight after taking away one of the 3 musketeers, so I stayed on and kept inching closer. Finally Alpha girl reached out and sniffed and then licked my hand! Then she moved away just a foot or two. When she took her protective stance between a passing bicyclist and Limpy Girl, I was included in the pack she was protecting.

That's when I took a chance that they had once been house dogs and would remember some of that life.  I got up, picked up the blanket, camera, etc., and said in a very matter-of-fact tone "OK, Girls, Let's go for a ride."   They were having none of that.  However, when I returned with 2 leashes, gave them each a little chin tickle, and looped the leashes over their heads, they seemed perfecly fine with that.  I said "Let's go for a walk'" and they came with me as pretty as you please, and "Limpy Girl" was even wagging her tail!  I lifted each one into the car and they settled on the blanket for the ride.  They even slept on the way to Cindy's house.

Once we got there and took them to the back yard where the Boxer pup was, there was such joy and celebration!  Our Boxer was so happy, she hugged and thanked me many times for bringing her friends back to her.  When I left they were exploring the yard.  The plan had been to take the Boxer to a Boxer rescue and the Bostons to a Boston rescue, but it was clear they were a pack and bless Cindy's heart, she decided not to separate them if at all possible.

I can not begin to describe what I felt that night as I drove back to Lynn's house. This was not my doing, obviously. I was doing the legwork for a team led by God, Jesus, or St. Francis, I don't know, but I just followed directions and as a result 3 dogs were saved. I know now who I am, what I do, and why I am on this planet. There is no other way to express that.

My gratitude to Lisa, who connected me up with Cindy, and to Cindy herself is immeasurable. When I won the trust of those poor, homeless, flea-ridden dogs, I was promising them that life would get better if they trusted me. I had to deliver. If I had not been able to trust Cindy to do what was best for them, I could never have lived with myself. No part of a rescue can work without all of the other parts working, too. If I had dropped them off in a “shelter” where they could suffer further neglect and possible death at the hands of the system, I would have been no better than the person who dumped them, or the employee who has the horrific job of euthanizing shelter animals.

Sunday, Aug. 7, 2011

Yesterday I spent about 13 hours or so driving from Wisconsin to Grove, OK to the home of my friend, Lynn. I will be staying with her during my time in the Joplin area and I am so grateful for her hospitality, especially since the heat made it necessary to leave my Gina at home and Lynn has 2 dogs who made it their mission to make me feel like part of the pack last night. There is nothing like a cold dachshund nose on the back of your thighs under the covers to make it clear that you are accepted!

The drive was wonderful, weather clear and for the most part traffic was very light. I stopped and took a quick picture of one of the bridges of Madison County. I love driving alone because I can just do stuff like that.

Along the way I saw some interesting signs, like the county roads that made me laugh along with them

There is a town that clearly knows what it is all about and is good with that, and that is something I had to admire and appreciate.

Aug. 5, 2011




Tomorrow morning I will be leaving my best friend, my dog, behind for a week and driving from Wisconsin to Joplin, MO to find Hanah. Hanah has been missing since the tornado took her from her family and I can't really say why, but I have been feeling that I need to go there and get her home. The thought of what it would be like if it were my Gina leaves me no real choice. I have to help.

My good friend, Milana, has been in empathic contact with Hanah and I believe that with Milana's help, Hanah and I can find each other and get her home. I will be blogging about my journey and my experiences in Joplin and the surrounding area, and posting pictures, so please stop by and see what's happening.

Happy Trails,

Amy