The void left by Zap was so vast, it’s been even tougher to adjust to than I expected. Devo took it hardest of all, launching the most intensive hunger strike in his long and distinguished career.
About a month ago, we started to consider getting another dog. Conscience demanded a rescue, and we weren’t about to inflict a puppy on Devo, much less housebreak one. Far better, we thought, to adopt an older dog, maybe one that had been passed over for younger choices.
At first we ruled out Italian greyhounds, spooked by the idea of a Zap impersonator. But it was those toy-dog qualities that I was craving – the sociability and companionship – and we ended up coming full circle. I love Devo dearly, but he’s no lapdog. So we applied to IGCA Rescue, got approved to adopt, and last Sunday drove up to a small town in snow-covered northern Maryland and picked up our little girl.
With a name like Sparkle*, you’d think her previous owner was a small child or a gay man. She was neither. She was a middle-aged woman, an unlicensed breeder described by many as a dog hoarder. We were told Sparkle was bred twice a year. (“She’s a tired old whore, like us,” I said.) She entered the rescue system when authorities raided the place and plucked her and 15 others from the squalor. According to the rescue rep, it was the second time they’d shut the breeder down. Sparkle spent the next year in foster care as other dogs came and went.
Meeting her now, you’d never guess at her grim past. She’s a happy little thing, amazingly playful for an eight-year-old. Completely self-assured, she stands sentinel at the window, warding off people, other dogs, and squirrels with fierce growls and barks that belie her 14 pounds. She flirts with every visitor, and Dan says she’s the same on walks. One day it’ll be warm enough for me to see for myself.
So far, Devo’s the only one who hasn’t fully succumbed to Sparkle’s sparkle, but he’s coming along. In the meantime, his appetite is back.
*She's royalty, you know.
7 comments:
it's hard to say who is more sparkly in that photo. congrats! she is so cute! even if she was a big ole whore. you're like naomi watts in EASTERN PROMISES, trying to save sex slaves.
I think you HAVE to rename her to "Thparkle"
Are you sure that's not her stage name?
She's so cute! And so is the pup! ;-) I thought I saw Dan walking 2 dogs the other day, but I figured you just had a visitor. She's a lucky dog. And with a name like Sparkles....well, what more can you ask for? I must meet her.
So adorable. I love Sparkle, even if she has a trashy pole dancing kind of name.
What a wonderful story to start my day, thanks and congratulations to all of you. She is a lucky dog.
Sparkles! I love it. Reminds me of my niece, Sophia, who informed me one day she was changing her name to "SparkleKelly."
Congrats on your new family member. She looks like she is a champion snuggler.
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