A couple of months ago, I and all my neighbors kept seeing this little dog, running loose on the street, looking terrified and ratty, who would not let anyone near.  Some people at the end of my street were putting food out for her but she was just wild and they couldn’t catch her.  She’d be just standing in the middle of the road, wild-eyed, and it’s a wonder she wasn’t killed by a hawk or owl, run over, or killed by another dog.  She was “out there” for about two months.

Finally, she was captured in a humane trap, and my friend Dawn had her for a few days.  Dawn would have kept her, but she’d just adopted two little rescue critters, and her house was full.  I met her at Dawn’s, shivering in a crate, utterly eaten alive with fleas, and my heart went out to her.  I gave her a name, arranged for her to be taken to the vet for health care and grooming, and ended up taking her home from the vet’s right around Halloween.

She bit Dawn, pretty savagely, and we thought she’d need sedation when she was groomed, but she appeared to be right at home in that setting, and did beautifully.  She was calm, but still wary and defensive.  She did not have heartworms, she didn’t have a microchip (most purebred dogs do), and they estimated her age at 2-3 years.  She had been spayed.  Her weight is 6.9 pounds.  So she was someone’s dog, and even though I’ve asked her to tell me her story, it remains a mystery.

People had posted her photo and description on Facebook and the word was all over our area, but no one came forth to claim this little girl.  She is a Chinese Crested—you’ll find info aplenty about this ancient breed.  She is somewhere between a hairless and powderpuff variety—not hairless, but not puffy either.  She looks like a tiny lion with a mane, feathery feet and a tuft of hair at the end of her tail.  Her ears are indescribable.  She is prance-y and lively and seems pretty happy now that she’s in a place where she feels safe.  She only bit me once, and it was absolutely defensive.

She’s learned quickly what is expected of her:  outdoors for elimination, mealtimes, and she’s crated when I’m not home so she doesn’t get into trouble.  She likes to collect things and is happiest when she’s near me.  She knows her name and is getting better at coming when she’s called.  She’s begun to defend her food with the most ridiculous growl but Rumer listens.  She and Rumer get along fine, and I make sure R. knows she is and will always be Numero Uno.

I decided to give Gypsy a home, simply because she badly needed one.  My intent was not altogether clear to me, and still isn’t, but it’s a tossup between fostering/rehabilitating her, and giving her a forever home.  Gypsy is not the dog I would have chosen, but I feel that she chose me.  If someone came along who wanted her, I would entertain their application, if they could provide references.  For now, she’s got a home, but I have standards.  I won’t treat her like a silly ornament, and she gets the same care Rumer gets.  Same food, same attention and care.  Though I do have some coats for her for when the weather changes.

I know you want to see some photos, so here they are:

 

 

 

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