I don't know who is luckier, him or me. In fact, my mother tried to name him "Lucky" the first time she saw him. I was trying to avoid naming him at all... you know... trying to avoid that whole attachment thing. Yeah.... that went well! :-)
Anyway, so here's the story....
It was a chilly October morning in 2004. I usually got to work around 7:30AM. I never cared for the morning rush hour traffic so I would leave a little early. It gave me time to relax and have some coffee and read emails before starting to see clients. My office was in the 6 points area, to give you a point of reference. I parked and started walking toward the building, like any other day. After my ritual adjusting of the shoulder harness with one hand and leveling the shaky coffee cup in the other I glanced toward the old (no longer used) exterior elevator door just a bit over to the right of the employee entrance. Did I see right? I thought I saw a subtle fuzzy movement. Naturally, me being of the curious sort, walked over and there.... huddled in a corner and shivering, was this puppy. This poor pathetic wretch of a young dog was struggling to keep out of the wind, which was exacerbated by his lack of protective coat. In fact I had more hair than him. Have you seen me lately? As I crouched toward him his head lowered while eyes stared up at me in utter fear. All the while his front paws struggling for traction against the smooth concrete as he was trying to push himself further into the corner. Poor guy. As I took a step closer still it hit me... WHOA !!! the stench of decay. This little guy needed a couple of rounds in the permanent press cycle with double rinse. I figured a little fabric softener wouldn't hurt :-) My first thought was how could something this little emit an odor so large? Then I thought of new parents and what similar experiences they have w/ their newborns. At any rate.... About this time I aroused the curiosity of one of my coworkers on her way in, also with arms full and juggling the less secure items. Good thing that Courtney also loves animals. I took my stuff inside for a moment while Courtney watched the pup. When I returned she either coaxed or frightened the pup out of its corner as he was walking down the gently sloping loading ramp. He was walking along the edge and peering over the side. His ears swiveled a bit. He had some life left. I honestly wasn't sure as to how much at that time... He looked over the edge like I would be looking off a 10 meter diving platform... with concern for falling, but not really worried if I do. I had some rope in my car and I fashioned a rather crude, but functional, harness for the little squirt. With Courtney's help and excellent lung capacity from holding my breath, I managed to get the harness on the little tyke. ( what he must have been thinking ) Then I noticed the fleas. They had a real community going on there. I swear I saw neon lights, "Buffet. Open All Night" So... here I had this stinky, sparsely pelted, flea bag tied to a rail in the parking lot. What the hell was I gonna do with him for 9 hours? I couldn't take him in. I certainly wasn't going to leave him in my truck. So Courtney and I monitored over the course of the day to make sure he had water. There was always someone in the building with a little kibble around. That part of town is Stray-Central. So, here you go... this is the as yet unnamed dog I found.
So I called my mom and told her the news. I then called my vet and explained the situation but there was no way they could get the runt in that day. So I made an appt for the next day. Since I had to work I asked my mom if she could take him. She was reluctant, but agreed (thanks, Mom). So that evening I set up little stinker in the kennel in the garage. Meanwhile, my other two were looking on curiously from the safe confines of the back yard. You'll meet them in more detail later. Now, keep in mind, when I was little, my (older) sister used to call me "Stinker" all the time. Now she calls her dogs "Stinker". I'm off the hook :-). I used to think it was a term of endearment, but after experiencing this with this puppy, I began to wonder. hehe
So here I have this funky odor machine cranking out maximum stink by the minute in my garage. I didn't fully appreciate the capacity for, nor the gap from stink to putrid! When I opened the door into the garage the next morning I damn near fell over. Holy StenchFest, Batman!! I swear to god my testicles retreated somewhere behind my spleen and wouldn't come out for a week! I wasn't sure if I should feel sorry for my mom or laugh at her for what she was about to endure. The good news in all this... the puppy was still alive. He was sitting up and moving around. He was not eating but he was drinking water. That was something.
I let the dog out and he peed in the grass. He slowly and carefully moved about the driveway and yard. He would twitch a little with every new noise. All I could do was shake my head and give him space. I wondered what this kid saw in his young life. And I mean young. You saw the pic. Maybe 8 or 10 weeks old? As I left for work I left the garage door a little open so the pup could see out. Ahh, whose kidding who, it was to ventilate!
My mom took him to the vet. Apparently one of the customers passed out from the pups stink. (kidding) But I'm surprised my mom didn't. And she had him in her car! Anyway, I was afraid to call my mom to see how it went. The vet wasn't too crazy about providing treatment without pay... at least not not until I got off work. But since my mother promised them that I would come by to pay after work that day they agreed. I mean, why not, I've been going there for over 10 years already. I guess they have problems with people dropping strays off and never returning.
Well, my mom's first comment (predictably) was "Och Mein Gott!" Of course we all know what she was referencing! Yeah, yeah, mom... I know. He stinks. "He is so cute" she said. I laughed. Yes... he is cute. But he is sick and I need to get him well. As it turned out, he was sick. He had Sarcoptic Mange. Aka Scabies. It is contagious to animals AND people. Great! Just what I need, My love life sucked as it was and now I had to worry about skin flaking off my body. How attractive! :-)
It was ok, though. Just had to wash hands a lot. A LOT! I had to take the critter to the vet every other week for a medicated dip and other treatments as his health improved. He had to remain in quarantine for about 3 months. This included the white Christmas we had. Poor kid, had to stay in the garage while I took my other dogs to frolic in the South Texas snow. But he got to play in the yard. Little by little I introduced the guy to the yard while I kept Tibet & Pete inside. Of course they would be at the storm door watching every step the little guy made. Pete's tail was already registered as a weapon. Seeing a new pup to play with only reinforced that registration :-).
So as I watched the pup get better I started thinking about names. In fact, the first few receipts from the vet had "Lucky" as his name. My mom told them that is what she calls him. Yeah, I guess it fits, but it isn't original. So I pondered. I was leaning toward Anton. I slept on it a few days. I am real thorough when it comes to deciding on things that will be permanent. I don't want to regret it later. Then I had all but decided... when the little guy was keeping me company as I was smoking a cigar in my front yard and I looked at him... he looked at me. He smiled and somehow "Talbot" came into my head like lightning. I scratched behind his ear and asked him what he thought. He walked a small circle as if contemplating. Then he sat in the same spot again and looked at me and smiled. So there you have it my friends... Introducing "TALBOT" (to be cont.)
Be well,
Stephan
