Foxy Baby
by Tanya M. Jackson

She was born in the dirt under a deck and ate restaurant scraps for her meals. Few could believe that this skinny little sable Sheltie was a purebred beauty. And who would leave any mama dog in such deplorable conditions to raise her young. Unfortunately it happens far too often!

Foxie Baby was born with two others to a pair of Shelties left to live outside in the heat and rain, no place for any dog to be. True, they could get under the deck and under the house. True, they were fed and had water most of the time. But were they ever petted and loved? Not much. And did anyone every comb and brush their heavy coats and make sure they did not have matted fur and fleas and ticks? No. They were a mess, and these puppies were their second litter. Worse, these two were not even three years old yet!

 

I remember seeing the pair of Shelties when we first moved to the neighborhood. As we came and went, they grew. We returned north for the summer and late that same year we heard that three puppies had been born. “Gee” I thought. “They weren’t really old enough for that!”  But wrong!! Dogs can become parents as early as six months of age. And time flits by way too fast. Before another year was over, there was another litter of three little Shelties.

 

When they finally came out from under the house, I asked the owner if she had found homes for the puppies. No, she had not, and she did not want them. I asked if I could take them to the animal shelter to be adopted. She didn’t care, she said.

 

So I mustered the help of some friends and went to catch the pups. In this short time something had happened to one of them. There were now only two. The owner said that her son was planning to take the male puppy. She did not know if the little red one was male or female.

 

We brought some treats and teased the mama dog close to us. This brought the puppies as well. With one swift grab, my friend snatched the little red puppy, amid much yipping and crying. Not being ever held and picked up (socialized, we call it) this puppy was terrified of us. She peed and pooped in terror. Think how scared you would be if some unknown giant grabbed you from your mama!

 

We bundled her in a blanket and headed home – right to the big kitchen sink for a major bath. This poor puppy was loaded with fleas. The water ran red from the flea dirt, which is basically the blood the fleas have sucked from the puppy. Yes, fleas and ants and such parasites can kill small puppies born outside.

 

Underneath all that dirt was a darling female sable and white Sheltie with delicate small paws and a little pink nose. I settled her in the training crate with food and blankets and even a toy or two.  She whimpered but soon went to sleep. In the morning I took her to the shelter to report our rescue, and give her another bath in their big sink. Lynda looked her over, gave her some worming medicine and filled out her paperwork. She became my foster baby.

Dogs are smart. They like to be part of a family. They quickly bond and return the love given to them, and this is how it went with Foxie Baby. Soon she was snuggling and snoozing in our arms, and playing with our dog and cat. And growing fast! But disaster soon struck.  I came home from my gardening to find a very lethargic and sick little pup. That telltale smell of parvo informed me that things were bad. I dialed the shelter to alert Lynda and headed there, praying we had caught it early and could save her.  Poor Lynda!  “Please!” I said. “Save this puppy. We have fallen in love with her. I think we are going to keep her.” Parvo is such a killer! Lynda knew our chances were not good. But we hydrated the small body, gave her some other meds and I took her home to care for her and hope for the best.

To make a long story short, Foxie Baby recovered from parvo, endured her spaying operation, and is becoming a beautiful elegant Foxie Lady. Many people have wanted to adopt her. “Do you have time to brush and comb this coat out every day or so?” I would ask. One lady asked, “Does she shed?”  Shelties, like collies and other longhaired dogs are noted for that! That’s one of the reasons you brush and comb a lot – to keep the coat healthy and clean, keep mats from forming and get rid of the shedding hair. It is imperative to groom such a dog often. I decided that no one would brush and comb and care for this dog like I would. I broke my rule about adopting my foster babies, and Miss Foxie Lady became a permanent part of our family.

She is smart and sassy. She’s still a bit shy about being picked up, but she wrestles and plays with our other pets. She walks nicely on a lead. She sits and comes on command. She has traveled twice now north to New Hampshire and Vermont, without a fuss at all. Everyone admires her and she knows it. She’s a very lucky little lady, and not a puppy making machine, which might have happened if we had not snatched her up that day.

As a final note, the owner of the Sheltie pair was finally convinced that it would be the right thing to do – to get her dogs neutered and spayed and produce no more puppies that are not wanted. Yes, they are purebred, yes, they are beautiful, but there are way too many unwanted puppies and dogs, and not near enough homes for them. We continue to try to get this word out in hopes that some day our work at the shelter will not be needed so much.