Dash and Dot Saga

Yesterday morning, something surprising happened. I was (as I had been doing every morning) walking Roxie out to where Haku, Dash and Dot were hanging out, in order to try to lure them back into the yard with us. Well, this time Dash followed us back into the yard, and found a tug toy there that he liked. He picked it up, and took it out to share with Dot. Before I knew it, he had tugged Dot into the yard with the tug toy! So I simply closed the gate behind them, and, voila! Two more dogs safely in our custody. Or so I hoped.

I had been talking with a representative of the group Animal Crusaders (the ONLY group in Tucson who will do ANYTHING to help feral dogs...which will be the subject of some later rant, I think) about trapping Dash and Dot; we'd made the appointment with the only Vet in town who'll work on feral dogs to have Dash and Dot neutered/spayed, get their shots, and get them a general health check. That appointment is Monday morning - D & D tugged each other into our yard on the preceding Thursday. So, I called up my contact with AC and said 'no need for traps, as it turns out'. They did loan me a giant dog carrier which we are supposed to use to transport D&D to the vet Monday morning. They are very very very good people.

Poor Haku was left alone out there, which broke my heart. I've told him repeatedly that he can come in any time he wants - and I hope he understands what's going on. I think he keeps bringing us dogs because he knows we'll help them - and he's always got his paws full trying to look after the neighborhood strays. He's been doing that for years, apparently. I spoke to a neighbor who walks his dog past our house each morning, and he said he can't recall when Haku first showed up, but it's been a very long time that he's been around.

Anyway, we got through the day on Thursday all right - Dash and Dot and Roxie love each other dearly, and Roxie was so happy to have her big pups with her in the yard. They also did just fine with little Pan and Iorek - who are now exploring the yard freely during the day. D&D still won't let us touch them, but in every other way they're very companionable.

The problem came this morning. I went out to check on Haku, and Dot was with him. She had dug her way out under the fence sometime during the night. So, now we're back to a trap plan for Monday - if I can get a hold of my AC contact. Else, we may have to call a commercial firm (there are a couple) who humanely trap & remove 'nuisance' animals. In the meanwhile, Dash *seems* to have decided to stay in the yard with us. But if he decides he wants to go, I'm sure he'll find his own way out.

At this point, I'm philosophical about all this. I figure that Dash and Dot and Haku will have to decide what they want - and, as with all dogs, if they want to escape badly enough, we won't be able to keep them. Our door is open to them, and we'll always do our best to help. But we can't control everything, and that's probably right and proper that we can't.

I also got some words of wisdom from my friends Itchy and Diane. Itchy, who is dissertating in clinical psychology advised that in times of stress one should 'try to breathe fully and calmly, and stay in the moment'. Diane, who has been getting more positive coaching from song lyrics than I had (yet another life skill that I admire in Diane but don't have much of myself) told me about a lyric that said something like 'you are where you are supposed to be'...well, it was better than that, but I don't remember it exactly.

Staying in the moment, breathing fully and calmly, and appreciating where I am right now...that is my stratagem at this time.