What's that say?

Oh right, that is the big old 'SUCKER' on my forehead. As I was heading to pick up my mom yesterday, I saw this dog running down the middle of the road. Normally I just disregard, but it almost got hit twice and didn't seem to know why. So I stopped and whistled and it came running over. I told the dog to "go home" but it just sat there and stared at me with it's tail wagging. I repeated myself and opened my car door to leave and before I could blink, there it was, sitting on my seat. Oiy. I was already late, so I drove the mile down the road to my parents house where the dog promptly jumped out and started sniffing around where it lifted it's leg and christened the porch post. So it's a he. We started calling him Henry.

Henry stayed at my parents house, laying by the front door while we were gone. When I got back, Henry came running down the porch to greet me. Now, Henry does not look hungry as he is a portly fellow and his teeth are clean, but a little worse for wear. He is a little dirty and mangy, but doesn't appear to be in any distress. Possibly an outside dog. But, he didn't smell like cow barn or pig barn. That would have been a nice little clue as to where he lives.

Then Henry found a tennis ball which was deposited right at my feet. I told him to sit and he did, but could hardly sit still with that tail going 90 miles and hour. I tossed the ball and he stared up at me... with a quick "get it" he was off. He brought the ball back and rolled over for a belly rub. And that's when I realized Henry isn't a Henry at all. More like a Henrietta. Oops.

I loaded 'Henry' into the back of my car and drove to the local vet. They scanned for a chip and took a picture to post on their website, but informed me they didn't have a license to house so I would have to take her. I called the Lieutenant and he absolutely refused to house the dog. The search goes on.

I stopped at several houses in the area where I found her, but no one recognized her or knew of anyone missing a big lover of a pup. (Okay she is far past being a pup as I am guessing she has quite a few years on her, but still. She has the heart of one, so there.) Anywho, I called two county Human Societies and no one reported her. They informed me I would have to call the sheriff to make a report. I did and they called the animal control to take her.

We played and I got more attached. I gave her some dinner which she wouldn't eat unless I threw it to her like a treat one little piece at a time. (But then again, it may have been the treats mom had been feeding her as she trimmed and cut up beef for dinner.) When the truck came to pick her up, I was in tears. I just couldn't stand the thought of her sitting in a kennel all alone all night, but I had no choice. I asked the man if the shelter was a no-kill and he said "they say they are, but one time I walked into the wrong freezer and well, those animals didn't walk in there themselves." He reassured me that if they process the paperwork correctly, then they would call me after the 5 day waiting period and I could take her back. I tried to convince him to just tell them she ran off and he came back empty-handed, but he wouldn't have it.

I helped him load her into the crate and she started whining and crying. Again, more crying on my part. I am such a sap, it is just well, sad. Granted I had just spent the entire day crying at the funeral and then more when talking to Will, but come on...

So now, I am waiting until this afternoon to call and check on her. The worst part is I am sure there is a family somewhere that is wondering where their beloved 'Henry' is. I'm not sure if I was a helper or just a giant roadblock to getting her back to her family. Either way, if she isn't claimed by Wednesday, the Lieutenant and I will up the dog quota to 3.