Goodbye Sophie - Hello Charlie: Unconditional Love!

I've written in previous posts about how we may think we make plans and we are in charge of those plans and then something comes along to show us just how little control we have over some things. We have always had a lot of dogs here at the 2BarM Ranch and I have written about some of them from time to time. The general feeling was that as the older dogs left us then we wouldn't get anymore because they really are a lot of work and always have to be considered when any of us try to make plans. Add to the seven that we had in April, my niece's four that my sister helps with when my neice has to be out of town and it really is a huge undertaking.

On April 22nd we lost Sophie the Tibetan Mastiff that was a rescue. She was a big, sweet dog but her hips finally got to the point where she could no longer stand or walk. She has had hip problems for a long time but everything was done to keep her with us while she was still able to get around and wasn't suffering any pain. Unfortunately the morning of the 22nd she could no longer get up. Her last years were good years though because she was rescued and came to life here.

SOPHIE

Then on May 5th I saw a small dog laying by the ranch sign out by the road. I figured that he was probably a stray and would wander off. As the sun moved and the shade moved around the base of the sign he moved as well throughout the day. He would wander next door and stay in their trees from time to time but he would always come back to the sign.

The next day he was still there but would run off whenever I tried to approach him even if I had treats. I left the treats by the sign and he eventually ate one of them. I also put a bowl of water out because it was getting really hot. He still wouldn't let me near him. (I say him but at the time I thought it was a girl). Later I put a bowl of food out as well but he wouldn't let me get near him.

This was stressful because I sleep with my window open and it seemed as though every time a car drove by at night I would hear it and cringe automatically expecting to hear the dog get hit. The 3rd day was no better as far as trying to get him to come to me or allow me to get close enough to pet him. He was never aggressive, just standoffish. That afternoon we had some guys working in the yard and he came closer to the house and even wandered into the yard for a brief time. My sister coaxed him with some treats and he would eat them as long as she backed off. Albert, one of the guys working in the yard tried talking to him in Spanish just in case that's what her owners spoke but that didn't work either.

For three days and nights, every time a car would drive by he would look like he was expecting someone to stop and pick him up. The bottom line is that I think some low life simply dropped him off and fortunately for him he wound up here. On the fourth day I went out, opened my truck door and got him to come close enough to pet him. He let me pick him up and take him in the house and the rest is history. Initially his name was Rosie but upon closer examination the next day he became Charlie.

I waited a week to see if anyone came looking, checked the lost and found in the local paper two weeks in a row and knew at that point that he was mine. Tuesday he was taken to the vet for all of his shots, micro chip and neutering. The past couple of nights and probably the next few sleep is taking a back seat to making sure he is ok throughout the night. The other six dogs accept him so as soon as he's back to normal he'll be back running with the pack of, Maddie, Sassy, Sly, Sadie, Jordan and Ella.

I guess we don't always get to choose when we are going to become pet owners.

CHARLIE

Hard to believe that he is the same dog who wouldn't let me get close to him for three days while he lived right next to a busy street.

My daughter Stacie sent me this the night that Charlie became part of our family.

So is Charlie our last dog? Who knows? One thing I do know is never say never.