Musings
an Online Journal of Sorts
By Alyce Wilson
December 7, 2005 - Dog Troubles
Una plays in the snow
Besides keeping my dog's feet warm and protected, there's another advantage to Una's booties: they make people smile. Unfortunately, this particular set is not designed particularly well, and I have to keep retrieving them after they've fallen off and put them back on.
This morning I gave up, figuring that there wasn't enough snow or salt on the sidewalks any more for it to irritate her sensitive feet and make her limp and whine. I'll see if I can find another set that fits properly.
Of course, I've got other problems related to the dog. Namely, the dog
walker we had lined up to help us out in a pinch now had an unexpected
family emergency and may not be able to do it. She told us we should look
for someone else. The Gryphon is checking in with one of his friends who
is something of an animal lover. Hopefully, she'll help us out, because
I don't know what else we'll do. Our normal pet sitter is unavailable
that weekend.
It's always something, as Gilda Radner used to say.
I need to get myself some new gloves, as well. These are ones I bought last year, and while they're better than the ones I had at the time, I can still feel the cold air through them. I think it's one of the reasons my hands have been drying out so badly: all the dog walks, holding a microcassette recorder in one hand, a leash in the other. Every once in awhile, I jam one hand in my pocket to warm up.
So with that said, I think I'll stop this short and put my hands back in my pockets to warm up.
I went out today after my walk and stopped at the Petco, where I found another set of booties for Una. These should fit better. Of course, when I first put them on I didn't fasten them tightly enough, and she lost three within half a block. But I'm optimistic these will be a better fit for her. I even measured her feet this time.
While I was out I also stopped at K-Mart and got a knit cap I can pull down over my ears and some really warm Thinsulate gloves, perfect for dog walks. They're harder to manipulate things with, so I'll use my other gloves for driving and such.
We actually got a response from a friend who said that not only would she be willing to check up on Una but that Una could actually stay at her house. Ironically, the dog walker called me back to say that she would be able to walk Una after all. Since it would be next to impossible for Una to meet the friend before she'd be staying there, we decided to go with the original dog walker. After all, Una has already met her and likes her.
A crazy
day, for sure, but it seems things are finally getting resolved.
Una
models her new booties
Moral:
Taking care of a pet can be complicated.
Copyright
2005 by Alyce Wilson
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