Monday, December 8, 2014

Abby Eats the Christmas Tree

So, because I feel the need to save the world one dog at a time I sent in an application to the Beagle Freedom Project as an interested adopter of a beagle dog. (We miss Trixie Noodle) This is an organization that rescues and places dogs that are used as laboratory animals. Many labs like to use Beagles or hound like dogs because they are easy to handle and are cooperative. (As one worker told me there is a reason they don’t use pit bulls-although I have never had a problem with those dogs either). There are breeders who provide dogs for just lab work. Seriously. I hope Karma comes back at them.

Anyway,  I didn’t think anything of it because I was certain there were probably a lot of people wanting to adopt and I would be low on the list.

Wrong. I got a call about 3-4 weeks later saying there was a dog in MN available. And last Friday Abby came to us to trial, and then adopt if it all works out. She has been fostered up in Elk River for about 5-8 weeks. She did go to a house but snapped at the other dog when that dog got too close to Abby’s food. (We’ve seen that before!)

Abby 1

So here’s Abby. She spent 11 years in a lab in Tennessee. She was used for arthritis research but unsure what she was used for. She has a tattoo in her ear and a little scar on her leg which might be from IV’s. She doesn’t know her name very well and when she first got here didn’t know how to go up or down the stairs. Although down was way easier than up.

She’s getting it now. She’s having some problems with being house broken and likes to eat the Christmas tree. Not sure about that.

IMG_2820

Abby with a little piece of tree to munch on later.

Beta doesn’t seem to care about Abby much.

IMG_2826 IMG_2827 IMG_2828

Although when Beta thought it would be nice to eat the leftovers of Abby’s bone-well, that brought on a little skirmish. Abby spotted that infraction of etiquette from across the room and took off like a shot to bite Beta on the head (not really a bite, more like a lot of slobber) which prompted a snarly face from Beta and a stand off which ended in a draw. (Beta kept his piece of the bone). We’ve had skirmishes before with other dogs so we didn’t give it much thought. Well, what we thought was we won’t let that happen again. Maybe. Hopefully.

So, we are waiting to see how well she fits in. It’s been good so far. Some problems with housebreaking but we think that might get better with time. Went all last night with no accidents. A little accident this AM but I should have known that she was needing to get out what with all the pacing. So, I’ll be a little more vigilant.

She loves her walks though. She is a little weak in the back which I was told was common in dogs raised in the lab because the don’t use their back legs a whole lot.

I’m not sure what she is thinking-it must be all new and overwhelming. Poor old girl. But she’s free now.

And, as you can see, we have a tree.

I stratigically placed the fake present over the cat barf that I discovered when I put  the Christmas tree skirt down. Apparently I figured I’d clean it up this year.

Wrong—because that’s how we roll.

Tree

Relaxing at the end of the day….

Abby 5

No comments: