UKC Forums - Part 2 - Pennies From Heaven

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UKC Forums (http://forums.ukcdogs.com/index.php)
- UKC Coonhounds (http://forums.ukcdogs.com/forumdisplay.php?forumid=4)
-- Part 2 - Pennies From Heaven (http://forums.ukcdogs.com/showthread.php?threadid=242016)

Posted by Cleo on 12-04-2008 06:32 PM:

Part 2 - Pennies From Heaven

read part 1 first.....

I began to get a little anxious at this point. I started to wonder how anyone could afford to manage all of these dogs and pups. We walked up to the porch and knocked on the door. We were greeted by a lady in her mid-fifties. She knew exactly who I was so I was certain Donnie had already told her I was planning to just see the pups before they were moved into permanent homes. This would only take a second, I thought to myself.
I walked in to the living room and there on the floor in a small basket were three little red balls. Up popped a head. It seemed to say, “Hello there!” Dark little eyes found mine and I felt my stomach drop. I knelt down beside the basket and picked
up the little red ball. Her dark, knowing little eyes held mine the whole time. I felt a tickle on my hand, then a burning and stinging. Fleas had covered my hands in only seconds. I was trying to wipe them off of my hands as the lady of the house told me she had just brought the basket of babies in from outside and she hadn’t had the time to wash them yet. They had been born and raised in a barrel in the back yard with several other breeds of dogs. She told me that the pup that I had in my hand was the bravest of them all! Curiosity had me, so I asked her what she meant by that. (the baby girl seemed so weak and thin to me) She explained that when she went to the barrel to get the pups that morning, there was a huge rat snake trying to get inside for a quick meal. The pup I was holding was able to out run the snake. She went on to tell me that she had managed to kill the snake that time, though. But not before the other female pup had been eaten. Now the female pup that I was holding was the only female left in the litter and someone was on their way to pick her up as we spoke. I asked her if the pup had a deposit placed on it yet and she replied it had not. I held out all the money that I had brought with me and asked her if I could get that pup since I had gotten there first. She thought about for a second looking at the money in my hand and told that would be just fine, “since those people might change their minds and then she’d be stuck with the pup anyway”. I asked her if she was planning on breeding any of these dogs again and she told me she was not. This had been an accidental breeding but both parents were registered and she had never had any problems getting rid of puppies. It gave me chills to think how easy it is for some people to breed dogs only for financial gain never thinking about the responsibility that goes into raising dogs.
As we left the house and I was driving away, I managed to dodge daddy all the way to the paved road. I noticed the pup had stopped staring at me and was looking around the truck. Even as weak as she was, she managed to notice her surroundings. She soon snuggled up beside me as close to me as she could. I watched her hair move. I thought she was shaking from fear, but when I rested my hand on her tiny body, I felt the fleas on my skin again. She was covered with them from nose to tail. I have never seen anything like that in all of my life. As I was looking at her resting in the bright sunlight that streamed through the windshield of the truck and I was amazed that even being covered in fleas and filth, her red coat still seemed to shine like a brand new copper penny.
We made our way home and with a little help from on of my boys, we began to clean up the baby. I lost count of the number of times we bathed her. The fleas seemed to be immune to the flea bath that we were giving her. It came to a point when my son had to pick them off of her belly with his fingers just to kill them. The entire time we scrubbed and picked at the pup, she just laid there. It was as if she knew that we were helping her. Once I thought she has had enough, I dried her. She seemed to come to life then. Her coat was shining in the light as she tried to play with whatever she could get her little mouth on.
On Monday morning, she and I headed to the vet in Johnston, SC. I knew she was in bad shape, but after the blood tests were run, I was shocked that she was even alive in the shape that it turned out she was actually in. The fleas had literally drained her small body of her life blood. She was so anemic that Dr. Bill could not give her any shots whatsoever. He supplied a number of vitamins and told me that he wasn’t sure she would pull through. With tear-filled eyes I gathered my penny from heaven up and headed back home.
As time went by, my little gift began to show signs of improvement. I decided it was time to name her. She was as “pretty as a pumpkin” as the old saying goes, so she was named Punkin. Her deep rich red coat will remind you of a pumpkin. Day by day she improved. She became such a wonderful companion as well as a friend for me and the boys! Punkin was here to stay! It did take her almost 6 months to improve enough for shots and regular worming, but I can assure you she is almost 20 pounds now and just as healthy as she could be!
One day at work I was telling Donnie how Punkin was doing and how much we all enjoyed her. Donnie replied that Punkin had some new brothers and sisters. I can remember looking at him like he was crazy. I began to get tears in my eyes so I had to turn away. For the life of me I could not understand how anyone could be that careless! Punkin would have never made it if she hadn’t gone to a home full of love and devotion for her! It paid off for us, but for a lot of people she would have never been given that chance.
Donnie went on to add that there was only one female in this litter and two males. She didn’t want any of them and I could BUY the whole litter from her if I wanted. They would be ready that weekend if I wanted them….
I got in the truck on Saturday and went to Batesburg. Normally, being a rather pleasant person, it felt odd that my mood was very dark. I felt sure I would get better before I arrived at the puppies house. But, I didn’t. I actually got worse. I was so applauded that even after almost a year, they were still no changes in the care for their dogs. It turned my stomach when I road up the drive way still having to dodge daddy the whole way. He was an expert on chasing cars it seemed. It was just like my first visit. Except with an attitude.
The lady of the house was given an earful and was ready for me to load up and go. I had a male and a female in the truck with me when I left. I do realize that her dog breeding practices were none of my business, but when I am asked to come and buy the unwanted pups so they are out of her way, I felt like I had a place to say my spiel. I had already found a home for the little male so I stopped by his new home for his delivery. Excited about the new arrival, I was met at the truck. I handed him off, explained there had been no shots or worming and when I went to the vet on Monday, I would pick the male up his meds and bring them back by. (Please remember, most of the time we do our own preventative vet work on our dogs.)
Punkin could not believe her eyes when I walked in to door with her little sister. She nuzzled and kissed her all afternoon. At bedtime, she cried until I put the baby on the bed with us. The new baby wasn’t nearly as infested with fleas as Punkin. I was glad about that. She just seemed very week and her eyes were sunken in and almost lifeless. I hoped that after she had a few good meals in her and a quick trip to the vet, she would perk up.
Sometime during the night, after I had placed her in her little bed beside us, I heard a faint coughing noise. I woke up and turned on the light. It was the baby and she had been sick. It wasn’t until I saw it move that I realized what it was. She has tape worms very aggressively (how do I tell you this in a not-so-sickening-manner) coming from her mouth and nose. I can promise you that in all my years of raising puppies I have never seen anything like this! I cleaned her up and made Punkin get as far away from her as she would. I would try to keep her hydrated until Monday. And I would pray for her……..a lot.
Monday finally got here and off I went to Johnston and Dr. Bill again. I don’t think even he thought it was as bad as I said until he checked her. Fleas were not her initial problem, although the fleas and bad conditions were the cause. He did what he could for her, packed a bag of the same stuff and explicit directions for her little brother, and told me it would be up to the pups now, if they made it or not. Once again, my heart sank. Eyes filled with tears I headed for home. That was a sick little girl sitting beside me and there wasn’t a whole lot I could do to help her. I would try, that’s for sure.
The first two days were the worst. But after that, a light came on in her eyes and her belly became normal sized for such a little one. It was then that I knew it was OK to name her. She was dubbed Tator. (If you ever met her, you’d see why) Punkin did all she could do to help in her recovery. I was just afraid to let her get too close. She hadn’t been long gotten better herself. It wasn’t long and the sisters were inseparable, as they are today. As for the little fella of the litter, he is named Mater and is doing just fine. (Sadly, the last pup died of worm infestation not long after he went to his new home)
I watch my girls playing or doing their favorite thing in the world, chasing squirrels, and I have to smile to myself. At this point in my life, my boys are both grown and I have a lot of “time on my hands” as they say. I can honestly say I don’t know what I would do without my pennies from heaven. I guess God knew how much I would turn out needing them when He gave them to me.

I guess we have kind of saved each other.

__________________
BROKEN ROAD KENNEL
Breeding for the future of the Treeing Walker
"God bless the Broken Road"
~A man is only as good as his word~

Proud home to;

'PR' Kentucky River Fly Again (Kentucky River Rowdy frozen semen)
ACHA CHT x3 Broken Roads Little Texas (Kentucky River Rowdy x Houses Lipper's Hope)
CH Broken Roads Southern Stylish Boom (Kentucky River Rowdy x Houses Lipper's Hope)
Broken Road's Rowdy Lil Miss (Kentucky River Rowdy x Houses Lipper's Hope)
Broken Road's Meabie I will (Lipper's Rooster x Missy)
Broken Roads IMA Boomer2 (UKC NATL GRCH GRNTCH Honest Abe x Broken Roads Southern Stylish Boom
~~~~~Watch out!~~~~~
They just might make an IMPACT!

and the girls...Punkin and Tater!

Gone by never forgotten ~ Fly high my beautiful angels
~ GRCH GNTCH PKC SC Toucan Sam
~CH Toucan's Ugly Betty
~ CCH CH Southforks September Rain
~ Martin's Daisy JJ (what a beautiful litter you left behind)
~ Luke, the lab who brought us so many doves and ducks over the years
~ UKC GRCH,ACHA CH 2014 LWCH 2014 2 x's ACHA YOUTH WCH AKC CH AKC CH 'PR' Kentucky River Mundar ~ (Kentucky River Rowdy frozen semen) DNA Profiled ~ Fly high, old friend.

"The WILL of God will never take you where the GRACE of God can not protect you!"

Posted by mnman on 12-04-2008 07:31 PM:

good story

Posted by Family on 12-04-2008 10:29 PM:

report the woman selling these puppies.
report her alot to all kinds of different agencies.
use your free time to report that lady a few more times.....

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Posted by Laura Bell on 12-04-2008 11:59 PM:

I still have that one saved on my computer, and I read it from time to time. I really enojy the article, as well as the others that you had posted on your website.

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*************

Posted by Cleo on 12-05-2008 12:58 PM:

I love to write them!
With your hunting and dog experience, you could come up with one a day!!
Thanks!

Posted by Bluetick Lady on 12-05-2008 01:19 PM:

I love your story I had a doxie an got him almost in the same way he was so lil when i got him he fit in my jean pocket and the grass was even taller then him . took forever to get him right but through it all he was a fighter he wanted to live . we ended up calling him Sir Tigger Of Bounce Alot cause he had to bounce to get through the grass

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Blueticks & Walkers
Jenny Christner & John W. Clark III
Cambridge , Ohio
(740)-255-7547 Jen's cell
(740)-255-7616 John's cell

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Posted by Cleo on 12-05-2008 01:32 PM:

That is how Tater is! She boooongggssss along! they are still hounds, so i guess they fit in here on this site OK!
have a blessed day!

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