Modern Dog Blog

Her story is like so many others, heartbreaking in it’s commonality. She spent several weeks at the shelter in L.A. No one really knows how she got there. Maybe she was dropped off, maybe she was a stray, the details sort of got lost in her travels. The details though, they don’t really matter. All that matters now is she is safe. Safe and loved.

She’s a little bit of a Pug, tipping the scales at just over 13 lbs; her age is unknown but she’s definitely an old lady, well past what many consider her “prime.” Her teeth look good, but her entire face is peppered with silver and her body is rickety and thin. She’s got a hernia with a large mass in it, and her breathing is labored – a good indicator that she’ll need surgery on her palate to make breathing more comfortable. She’s friendly though, and wags her tail at every new friend she meets. She’s got that Pug spirit that makes us all work so hard to see that she, and others like her, never spend another night wondering if they are loved.

I had emailed Suzi saying that after a year off of fostering so I could get my human baby into the world and started off right, I was ready to foster again, and would really like to take on a senior. That maybe we would be ok with a long term foster, as long as we could open our home to a girl so we wouldn’t have any more pissing wars with the resident male dogs in the house (brats). Maybe a little girl, I do love those tiny Pugs, a petite lady who just needs a place to lay her head for a bit, and perhaps enjoy her golden years lounging in the sun and living in a house that is made up primarily of comfy dog beds.

Never one to leave a foster home wanting for long, I got a reply from Suzi within 24 hours. “Have I got the dog for you! She’s tiny, and sweet, and if her many surgeries go well, she’ll need quite a bit of care.” I kind of already knew I’d take her, but went to Cuyamaca anyway to meet her. Formalities, you know. I got to meet her before her surgeries, and of course I fell in love. She’s perfect. She is completely calm with my human child, and she’s giving me kisses and leaning into my hand as I scratch her ear. Of course I’ll be her foster Mom, we’ll figure it out. It’ll all be fine.

Someone at the shelter had named her Ethel, and while that’s a fine name, I felt like she needed something with a bit more strength. Something that worked into my household better. I have a long line of beloved dogs named after trees, and even more pets named after flowers and crystals. So of course, for her, I looked to the trees. I wanted something strong, but suitable for a sweet little lady. Maple? Clover? Aspen? No, no Aspen is more of a Golden Retriever. Hmm. Bramble? Nope, too hard to say. Bamboo? Hazel? Ooh, wait, Hazel. I like it. Even better, it has some great symbolism – wands made out of Hazel wood symbolize white magic and healing. Yes, yes, she needs that. Hazel trees themselves symbolize hidden wisdom, and over the centuries Hazel wood was used for protection against evil. I like it, Hazel she will be. It fits. It’s soft, with just a bit of an edge, perfect.

As I write this, my little Hazel is back at the vet, in the emergency center getting oxygen and fluids. I did get to bring her home after her surgeries – a hernia repair, spay, and fixing her elongated palate, but she was still having such a hard time breathing that she needed the extra help. The surgery on her palate caused some swelling, as surgeries will, but that makes it hard to breathe, so she breathes harder, which makes it swell more and causes irritation. Sweet little Hazel has been a trooper, and only today seemed to be very fatigued from all the work breathing. Not to worry, her prognosis is good. We just need to give her some time to rest, heal from the surgery, and then she should be able to breathe comfortably, perhaps for the first time in her life. I look forward to Hazel feeling better. In the two days she has been here, she’s shown herself to be a sweet, snuggly girl. Happy to see me, gets along great with my other dogs, is fantastic with the human baby (and she’s rather a pain, what with all the poking and squealing), and is just a lovely, lovely little Pug.

I think that once she feels better, I think maybe she’ll be adoptable. She’s just got so much pep, even exhausted today she twirled around on her back feet with excitement when she saw a leash. What a love! I think that she has years left, and I think that she may move on to a forever home. I’m ok with that. I think that someone else may get to love her too. Of course, she is welcome to stay here as long as she needs to, and I will cuddle her and love her and care for her as my own. And if she stays here for a very long time, because you know how hard it is to find forever homes for seniors, that’s ok too.

Hazel is what Pug Rescue is about. So many senior dogs. They need us because they are the ones who get left behind. The ones who don’t get adopted because they are “too old”, “too sick”, or “too needy”. I can’t imagine that little Hazel was in the shelter so long and no one noticed what a gem she was. How could you miss that happy little curly tail, those sparkly little eyes? I am ever so grateful for all the volunteers that got her here from L.A., and all of the work that goes into fundraising so that Hazel could have her surgeries, and so that she could be cared for tonight. The thing that amazes me is that her story is one of many. That we, as a group, help SO MANY Pugs. I for one, thank you all, I am proud to be a member of Pug Rescue, and I am thrilled to get to foster such a lovely girl. I’m sad for whatever circumstances in Hazel’s life left her without a home or people of her own, but I’m glad that she found her way into our hands. Because she’s safe now. She couldn’t have ended up with a better group of people to tend to her. I’ve worked with many different rescues, and Pug Rescue of San Diego is snorts and wags above the rest!

Thank you all so very much. I’ll keep you updated on Hazel’s progress. Perhaps Hazel will be able to meet you all at the Pugtoberfest. Looking forward to showing off my sweet little friend.

Posted on July 31st, 2009 by michelle
Filed under: Foster dogs, My dogs, The Naked Part