Asher

What To Do?

by  • 
Ash

Ash

Me and mom keep asking ourselves what to do. Ever since Mama and Shiloh came to Asherpark there has been tension. It’s because Tess hates Shiloh and wants Shiloh to go away.

Tess was our first rescue dog. She came to us four years ago right after Codie died. The shelter papers said Tess was an Australian Shepherd like me, but that’s not right. Tess is most likely a mix of border collie and chow.

Since she has been with us, Tess has come a long way. When she first got here she was so nervous we couldn’t leave her alone. Now she’s fine by herself and waits quietly for mom and dad to come home.

Tess trained with the sheriff just like me. She learned to leave the goats and chickens alone. She comes when called and behaves better on a leash than I do.

Tess loves to go for rides with our dad. She’ll stay in the car for hours without complaining. Tess doesn’t fight over toys or food. She’s nice to everybody she meets, though she’s a little timid around small children.

Tess doesn’t mind walking next to busy streets. Traffic noise doesn’t bother her. There are only two things in this world that make Tess hide under the bed – thunder and fireworks. But even then she’s not anywhere as scared as she used to be.

Tess is the most loyal dog a person could have. Mom often says Tess would give her life to save her people. Tess has so many good qualities.

You might wonder why I’m telling you all this stuff about Tess.  Unfortunately Tess has one bad trait that gets in the way of her being happy at Asherpark.

Tess is a dominant female. That means she thinks she runs the pack and every other dog better do what she says.

If a guest dog acts disrespectful Tess will fight. The same is true with the resident dogs at Asherpark. Everybody but me has to do what Tess says, or else.

When we brought other rescue dogs into the pack, Tess let them know right away that she was boss. Darcy, Jack, Nellie, even Mama agreed she was top dog. Tess never had any problems with those dogs.

But when little Shiloh arrived with Mama, things didn’t go so well. Tess strutted over and hissed at Shiloh to mind her manners. Shiloh was already minding her manners, so she thought there was no reason for Tess to get uppity. Shiloh growled real low and told Tess to leave her alone.

Nobody growls at Tess in her house and lives to tell about it. Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating but Tess launched on Shiloh and pinned her. It wasn’t a fair fight because Tess outweighs Shiloh by fifteen pounds and Shiloh is crippled.

Shiloh submitted but didn’t act scared. That made Tess really mad, so she pinned Shiloh again. Tess never used her teeth on Shiloh but the noises were terrible.

Each time Tess pinned Shiloh mom or dad grabbed her and put her in time out. The sheriff came to the house and trained with Tess until her manners were near perfect – except around Shiloh.

The funny thing is nobody ever got hurt and the fights didn’t seem to upset Shiloh. They sure upset the rest of us.

Finally mom said she couldn’t stand it anymore and now she won’t let Shiloh and Tess around each other unless Tess is on a leash. That makes for an uneasy peace in the household.

We basically have two packs – Mama and Shiloh and the house dogs. Because only Tess and Shiloh don’t get along, me Jack and Mama can move back and forth from one place to another.

Sometimes Mama and Shiloh stay in the studio while Tess has the big house to herself. Other times Tess sleeps in the studio while the rest of us mutts are together in the house.

Lots of times me and Tess hang together. We like to visit the alpacas and chase the neighbor dog along the fence. It’s not a bad life, but it sure isn’t the way it should be.

Our good friend took Tess home for a week to work with her. She said Tess was so happy being the only dog. Tess didn’t have to share the couch and got all the attention.

When Tess came home she told me she wanted to go live somewhere else. I burst into tears. Me and Tess have been best pals for four years. How could she suddenly decide she didn’t want to be my girlfriend anymore?

“Oh, Ash, you’re such a silly boy,” Tess said. “You get along with everybody. You only fight if some other dog attacks you and even then you don’t know how to fight.”

It’s true. I don’t like to fight. I want everybody to be nice and get along.

“Couldn’t you just try to ignore Shiloh? She’s had a hard life and she doesn’t deserve to get beat up all the time,” I said.

“It’s not just Shiloh,” Tess responded. “I’ve been thinking about it for a long time. I really want a person of my own. I want to be the center of attention. I want to be the queen.”

Later that day I told mom what Tess had said. Mom grabbed my flying saucer and told me to follow her down to the pasture. We played Frisbee for a long time, then mom motioned for me to sit next to her on the grass.

“Ash, sometimes things happen in life that we don’t expect,” mom said. “When we brought Tess to Asherpark we expected that she would live here the rest of her life. Now Tess is trying to tell us that she’s not happy here and she wants a new home.”

“But we love Tess!” I blurted out.

“Yes, we do,” mom said. “That’s what makes the situation so difficult. We want Tess to stay at Asherpark but we also want her to be happy. Tess is telling us she isn’t happy at Asherpark anymore.”

Tears were dripping off my snout and my heart ached. Mom grabbed me in a bear hug and rolled me on the ground. I broke free, whirled around in midair and knocked her over. Then I pinned her and quick washed her face before I ran off to find Tess.

We don’t have any answers yet, just questions. What can we do for our beloved Tess? I hope that if we send a message to the universe, somebody will answer. If you’re listening out there, we need a special place for a beautiful dog.

Tess

Tess

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mama

A New Beginning

by  • 
Mama & Shiloh

Mama & Shiloh

Our first few days at Asherpark were scary. Everything was new and we didn’t know who to trust. People and dogs came and went.

Shiloh and I didn’t know where to go to feel safe, so we usually curled up together for comfort.

The boy dogs were nice to us from the beginning. Ash invited Shiloh to play, but he was so wild it scared her to death. I had to laugh out loud watching him twirl around to get her attention while Shiloh looked on in horror.

Jack wandered over to say hello, but it was clear he had no interest in getting to know us.

From the time we arrived, I had a bad feeling about the red female, Tess. She strutted right up to us and announced she was boss dog. I said that was fine with me and looked away.

Unfortunately my little daughter sassed her and told her not to mess with me. Tess bristled with anger as she sauntered off.

When it was determined that I had very little hearing, my new family changed my name from Marble to Mama. Many of their friends had remarked that “Marble” sounded too cold and lifeless.

Honestly I never liked the name Marble. I am not a stone. It’s true that I am stoic, but I still have deep feelings and great longing.

Because I was so attentive to my daughter and obviously was a dog with no pretensions, my new family decided to call me Mama.

While I have not always been able to provide a safe and stable home for my daughter, I never stopped loving her and caring about her happiness and well being. I was pleased with my new name as it pays tribute to my role as Shiloh’s mother.

For the first few months at Asherpark I was known simply as Mama. My new family spoke my name with warmth and tenderness.

Last month a special friend came to visit. Her name is Liz but everyone knows her as Jack’s girlfriend. I don’t quite understand how a nondescript dog like Jack ended up with a beautiful girlfriend, but that’s a story for another day.

I liked Liz the moment I met her. She knelt down to greet me and told me I have the dark good looks of a Spanish beauty. I didn’t know exactly what that meant, but it sounded very nice and I was happy for the compliment.

A day or two into her visit, Liz said I should have a middle name. All manner of names were tossed about until the lady of the house said she really loved the name Eleanor. Her own mother was named Eleanor and she still has a great fondness for that name.

Given that everyone now agreed I am indeed a Spanish beauty, an extra “a” was added to Eleanor to make the name more romantic sounding. That is how I became Mama Eleanora.

I must confess I never thought I would have such a lyrical name. To think that I am named after the beloved mother of the lady of Asherpark thrills me no end. Mama Eleanora – how lovely. A new name, a new life.

 

 

 

 

 

Mama

Mama Eleanora

by  • 
Mama Eleanora

Mama Eleanora

My name is Mama Eleanora. How I came to have this elegant name is a long story, which I shall begin to tell. But first I must provide some background.

My daughter Shiloh and I spent years together in a cage in southern California. For reasons I shall never understand, we had been adopted as strays only to be abused by our rescuer.

We were near death when the authorities found us. Shiloh weighed only fifteen pounds and could barely walk. She had lost all interest in food and life.

The only thing that sustained us through this misery was our bond. Though she could barely raise her head, Shiloh would still growl to protect me. My precious little daughter cared more for me than for herself.

The man who treated us so terribly was arrested on an outstanding warrant. He gladly gave us up rather than face additional charges for animal cruelty.

The next days were filled with confusion and fear. We were taken to a shelter where we were separated. Taken away from me, Shiloh refused to eat. Fortunately the authorities recognized their mistake and arranged for us to go into foster care together.

Slowly our lives began to improve. Shiloh became attached to our new benefactor and began to eat. I was stronger physically than Shiloh, but having endured more years of abuse I was literally afraid of my own shadow.

I knew Shiloh stood a good chance of being adopted because of her bright sunny face. My brooding dark looks and my almost furtive behavior made it unlikely anyone would want me. While I could not bear the thought of losing Shiloh, I wanted her to have a forever home even if it was without me.

We were listed on Petfinder as Marble and Shiloh, (The California Girls), with a video that showed our miserable condition. To my shock and delight, the rescue group insisted that we be adopted together. Many people called about Shiloh, but when they were told I had to come too, no one wanted us.

One day a lady called from far away. I had never heard of Washington State. I listened as our foster mom talked with the woman from Washington. I could hardly believe my ears. She had seen my face on Petfinder and wanted me.

At first I thought it was a joke. Nobody had ever wanted me before. Shiloh was trembling with fear and joy. The woman said she would take both of us. Shiloh and I would go to a place called Asherpark where we would be fed and loved and spend the rest of our lives.

There were many calls back and forth. Our foster mom told the lady from Asherpark about our habits and medical history. Then came the day we were put into a crate and told we were going to our forever home.

Shiloh and I huddled together fearing the worst. Nothing good ever came from being in a crate. We were loaded onto a van with other dogs and drove off into the night. Our future awaited us, but what would we find when we arrived? The first thing I found was a new name, Mama Eleanora.