Goldie

Some miracles happen right on time. Others take a little longer. For 13 little pups born at Christmas two years ago and then put in a box and thrown into a dumpster, there were three miracles one after the other. First, a store clerk heard them whimpering in the dumpster and went to investigate. She called in Community Animal Rescue and Adoptions (CARA) in Jackson, Mississippi, which wasn’t sure the puppies were old enough to survive. Next, they discovered an address in the box and tracked down the man who’d thrown them away. They persuaded him to give up the mother, who was reunited with the pups and carried on weaning them. The third miracle was that within months all 13 puppies had started new lives in new homes as far away as Pennsylvania.

But for Goldie, their mom, things didn’t go as well. CARA volunteer and board member Laura Lillard recalls: “Goldie was so happy when we put her back with her puppies. She was a great mother, very protective, and she had a lovely, happy-go-lucky nature while she was weaning them all. There really was something extra special about watching her take care of these puppies.

She continues, “But when they were all adopted, she became really depressed. She stopped wanting to go out and exercise. She didn’t want to eat. She just seemed confused. Everyone here loved Goldie, and staff would come in on their own time to work with her.”

Finally things started to look up.

clipping Kimo's nails

In the seven+ years that Kimo has lived with me, I had never clipped Kimo's nails.  Not only would it have been scary to do so, but they were also worn down by our frequent walks.

Well, lately the walks haven't been as long (he doesn't seem to enjoy walking that much any more) and I noticed the claws on his right paw were long and the top of his right paw was darker than the other paw.  I don't know if the paw had been injured or just dirty.

Anyway, it didn't seem his nails would get worn down anytime soon, so I figured it was time (to try) to clip his nails.

I found the nail clipper that my sister used (I assume) when Kimo was young, that I had never used and brought it out.  I held Kimo's collar and brought the clipper near to his feet.  Didn't get much reaction.

Then I positioned the clipper and clipped off the tip of his nails.  No reaction.  So I did it to the other two nails that were protruding.

So still long, but better than before.

That was yesterday.

I decided to cut the nails shorter.  This time Kimo wanted to pull his foot away as I applied the pressure to his nails.  But no big reaction (as in no trying to bite me).  And the job was completed successfully.

Sorry.  No big dramatic story.  (Well not so sorry :)