> > Or, someone took a poorly trained pup on a hunt and at the first sound of > gunfire, he bolted-or got lost looking for the downed game! > > Rachel from E KY
I don't want anyone to think that Karen stole Connie. Olaf mentioned to me that he had seen a dog hanging around our back gate on Tuesday morning. I went spraying multiflora roses (and ever-spreading evil weed) late in the afternoon and she was still there. I talked to her briefly - she was very nervous and afraid - but I stroked her head and checked for an identification. She had none. I told her to stick around and that I would be back for her later. When I returned a couple of hours later she was still there (I now tend to think that someone dumped her at that spot) and when I opened the hatch of my car she got in readily. When we got to the house the roofers were still working - a half-dozen of them - and they told me that she seemed to be a pure-bred bird dog and probably quite valuable. So I thought that she might have gotten lost. I took some pictures of her and sent them to several veterinarians in this area and also took one to the local animal shelter because that is where I would inquire if I had lost a dog. Cary and Karen arrived on Wednesday evening and Karen knew that she is an English setter. In the meantime, Connie was soaking up our affection for her and returned it. Since she was very dirty and smelly, she got a bath in our bathtub on Thursday and was allowed to stay in the house. I always sit quietly reading in my corner at night and when everything was quiet in the house - Karen and Cary gone to bed and Olaf too, Connie very quietly and gradually simply crawled into my lap and cuddled until I too went to bed. Over the next days, Connie showed herself to be very affectionate around all of us and I think Karen and Cary fell in lover with her. She was just so happy to have people around her who liked her and soaked it up, doing her best to please and do what was asked. No one claimed her. We came to the conclusion that someone had just dumped her not wanting to take the trouble to find her a good home. When Karen and Cary offered to take her home I was very relieved because I know that they take excellent care of all their animals; all the animals living at their house a lucky critters indeed. (We are still in transition, having to go back to Evanston to sell our house there, so we could not have kept her.) I think that I and Karen did what we could to ascertain that she had been given up. Karen had her checked for microchips - she had none - and even now, no one has called about her. So Connie rightfully belongs to Karen now. Anneliese
