"Angel"
Date: 8/9/99 (Also the date of the pictures)
A few months ago, I found a female shepherd mix down by our pond and it was evident that someone had dropped her off and drowned her pups. It took me four days to get her to trust me enough to come up to the house. We named her Angel -- short for Guardian Angel. She won our hearts by following me everywhere. When I leave in my van, she follows me to the end of the drive and waits, no matter how long, until I return. It's reassuring late at night, in our isolated country setting, to see the shine of those "Angel Eyes" waiting for me.
Angel went in for her "spaying" and when I went to pick her up 24 hours later the Vet would not release her because she had not recovered as expected. I drove the 30 miles home with an occasional tear falling down my cheek. On the second day after her operation, I brought her home but it was obvious to me that she had either been in a fight or had really hurt herself attempting to escape, her back right hind quarter had 3 lacerations.
At 4:00 AM the next morning she woke me up with a "help me" bark. I got up turned on all the lights and began calling her. She finally appeared and I tried to get her to come into the house but she would not. Although she loves and protects me, she didn't trust me enough to be confined. Again, I screamed like a crazy woman at the stray male dog that I could only assume was bothering her. Unable to get the 60-pound dog in the van, I went to the Vets and obtained medication and instructions on treating her.
The following day the Angel's leg was badly swollen and she was having a great difficulty walking. Yet when I made my daily trip to my Mother's, she was down at the bottom of the drive to meet me when I returned. She had to drag herself the 100 yards back to the house. I used the porch swing cushion to make her a bed on the back porch and hand fed her. After her tremendous effort to continue to be the Guardian Angel, she was having trouble standing to eat.
My husband was working in Nashville during the week coming home for the weekends. Saturday morning he removed the bandages. We were both afraid she was going to die or at minimum loose her leg. He loaded her in the van for the trip to the Vet's. [Note: It was actually a rare allergic reaction to the medication used during the operation.]
When Angel died the later part of 2003, with her she took a piece of my heart, tears are rolling as I post this story. The reason I post it is to make the point :
Animals, like people, need an environment that allows them to be wonderful!
Angle was someone's "throw away but precious to me".
