Sigh........back after a whirlwind trip to Ocala! Six days- two days down, two there, and two days back! Why, do you ask, would anyone choose to embark on such a trek? Well, for one, I miss my son, Jordan, who moved down there to pursue wrestling school at the Dory Funk Conservatory. He spent Christmas alone, and I found myself pining away for him. My oldest daughter had just been down to see him over Thanksgiving, so that made two holidays without my boy. THE biggest deciding factor was my mother's strong intentions to get there to see him as well. There was a reason for that - my own father had moved to Ocala after he graduated from Navigational Flight school in Port Arthur, Texas. He took a job at a radio station in Ocala and settled there for a time. My mother has never seen the south, and wanted to tag along. She offered to pay gas and motel, and who could argue with that? What about the animals? This is where a big thanks goes out to Judy, Jessica, Kelly, and Benjamin King! They are new volunteers, but very willing and kind people. They offered to feed and water horses if we decided to go. That made everything fall into place, and it wasn't long before we were packed up and gone. Three dogs (Tina, Cookie, and Peanut), two kids (Zach and Rachel), Grandma Lee and me going down the road!
I guess nothing is ever an accident, and I have always heard that God will never give us more than we can handle. Grandma was a little tired during the trip, and it took kind of a mental or emotional toll on her. The dogs and kids took it all in and were easy travelers. Then, the second day, it happened.............
The interstate resembled a line of tiny ants from Nashville all the way to Ocala - I am sure heaven's view would be like a couple of million frantic little specks headed to warmer ground! We were in that army of ants - flying at speeds of 70-80 mph - past each other and past, sadly, several abandoned dogs on the interstate. 9-1-1 - I phoned that number twice to beg for assistance for one yellow lab pup on the northbound shoulder in Kentucky, and again in Tennessee. Both 9-1-1 operators were gracious and not angry that I had called the only number I could think of for help.
They promised to go and see if they could save the dogs. I shook my head, finding it hard to imagine who would discard an innocent life like a paper bag out of a window. People like that should be taught a lesson.
Meanwhile, at a truck stop outside of Chattanooga, Tennessee, a medium-sized, short-haired female dog shivered in a ditch. Intermittently, in these, the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, she would find the courage to approach strangers in the front part of the truck stop, taking food from the parking lot or from outstretched hands. Quickly, she would dart to the back of the truck stop to devour the food. Later, the cycle would repeat itself. Many locals had tried in vain to catch this frightened little life. It was clear she had not been treated well prior to being abandoned here. A door slammed, and she dropped to the ground, tail between her legs. A soda bottled opened, and she darted from sight. If a man with a cap on drove up in a pickup truck, her hair stood up on her back and she cowered, out of sight. If ten cars went in and out of that truck stop every ten minutes, that means 60 cars an hour stopped for fuel or rest. 720 cars in a 12 hour period...........yet in three days time no one had cared enough to inquire about this beautiful dog with big, sad, brown eyes, who laid cold, curled in a ball, on the grass and mud behind the truck stop. How awful it must have been to see all of these people and yet not trust one enough to approach for any length of time.
Well..............(you know where this is going???)........the second night of our journey I had to stop for gas in this little area outside of Chattanooga, at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. I never saw the little dog, but my children did. They begged me to turn back to look for her, as I was exiting the parking lot to get back on the freeway. Just then, she appeared in the front of the truck stop convenience store. We pulled our car up, and offered her a left-over hamburger. She took it and left quickly. Zach and Rachel jumped out of the car and followed her to the dumpster area, then saw her run behind the truck stop to the dark, cold area. We drove around the back of the truck stop and watched her. She watched us. It was in the 30's by that time, and getting dark. We got out of the car, crouched down by the side of the road, and called her. Rachel immediately called, "Girlie! Come here Girlie!". The dog wagged its tail and slowly approached us, halfway crouching to the ground. She was shaking, frightened, yet anticipating and sensing kindness. We began to shake and ran to the next-door Waffle House to ask them for help. They stated that they had phoned the local humane officer but the humane officer was unable or unwilling to come for a dog that could not be captured. We told them we had the dog on a leash. They phoned again for help, but none came. They explained that in these rural areas..........we just didn't "understand".......people in those parts abandon animals all of the time. It's just a part of life. No rescues around? No humane society? What would we do?
Grandma Lee stated clearly that we could not leave the dog there to starve or die. After a long discussion between the kids and grandma and myself, and a sausage patty served free of charge by Waffle House employees, we coaxed her to the car. My dogs got out to meet her prior to us loading her up - all was peaceful and calm. Once in Ocala we had her scanned for microchips by the local vet, had an exam, and she received a clean bill of health. She also received her immunizations, and a brand new red collar with a name tag - appropriately her name is GIRLIE.
Nothing is ever an accident. She has been a grateful guest and has caused no problems for us. She won't leave my side or Rachel's side - and Rachel has certainly laid claim to her. Still, we hope for the perfect home, as we have too many dogs..........still, my heart aches at the thought of her having to make another transition. The very positive side of this whole thing is that we found out she is a very pure breed of dog, bred in the Appalachians in the 1960's and only recently added to the AKC registry - she is a Treeing Tennessee Brindle dog! Even if she were not a purebred, she would be precious to us. We are very privileged to have once again been hands for our loving heavently Father, who cares about even one sparrow who falls to the earth..........He knew she needed help, and we were happy to help. Now.........we don't know the end of the story yet, but it's all in His hands! Hope you enjoy pics!
