Today I am thankful for dogs.
I'm sad I can't have one.
I tried.
I swore off men three years ago. I figured I'd just get a dog.
Well....that's not going to work, is it?
*****
I visited a couple of shelters today to see if I could find a dog that didn't make my eyes swell and turn red.
My first stop was the Dumb Friend's League. I was picked out by a beautiful pit bull named Darla.
Darla was anxious. She paced the kennel back and forth. She just whimpered and cried.
Her previous owners surrendered her several weeks ago. She was recently transferred to Denver after a stint in a shelter in Texas.
She's a sweetie.
I live in Aurora. The government would kill her.
What stupid, idiotic, selfish, uneducated &$@&*^ (the plural version of a noun not fit for public usage!!!!
She didn't make my eyes swell or my skin itchy.
We saw a cute little poodle named Estrella.
She picked out the girls. She really needs a good grooming and her teeth need cleaned. She has doggie anxiety, too. We decided not to visit with her unless we could bring her home. We didn't want to get her attached and then leave.
I still felt good. I didn't itch. I had a little bit of a hard time breathing but it wasn't too bad.
It was manageable.
We left the shelter and drove to the pet store to price supplies and grooming.
This is where we met Thor. I thought with a Pagan name like Thor, it was meant to be.
Thor picked me out. He stared and he cried and he ran to the door and started to scratch to get our attention.
He'd just been returned by his adopted family because he scratches at the door when he's left alone.
I learned he liked kennels.
His teeth need cleaned and his bite needs work (it will lead to trouble eating down the road). His coat was matted.
He seemed bored with his toys.
We sat on the floor and he jumped in my lap, snuggled my neck and gave me doggie kiss.
My skin started to burn.
My eyes started to hurt.
I left the store heartbroken.
I'll probably never get to have a dog.
I grew up with poodles. We had a black Doberman, her name was the same as the nickname my parents gave me. That name is Sheba. My parents were the only people that called me Sheba.
I didn't take crap from my parents. They said I acted like a queen.
Everyone else called me Siegfred.
Sheba didn't make me itch,
neither did any of the poodles.
I figured I either developed the allergy late in life -or- there was something about those dogs that didn't make me sick.
I'll probably never know.
It's sad.
They say NLP can help people overcome allergies.
I may give it a whirl.
The one thing I looked forward to getting after the divorce was a dog.
I wanted to wait until I knew the dog was safe and wouldn't be harassed, abused or neglected.
I wanted to make sure the stalker wouldn't poison it.
Now that I can finally get a dog, I find out I'm allergic.
It is NOT fair.
May your dreams not be out of reach so you have a shot at reaching them.
Even when they seem impossible - don't give up.
There may be an answer you haven't thought of yet.
Love ya,
S.