The Dachshund, Part II

A couple weeks ago, I posted this entry about a stray dachshund who had been seen wandering around my office building. Payroll Girl and I felt so bad for him that we managed to trap him in an used office until animal control could arrive. Fate intervened and the animal control officer couldn't make it out to pick him up. Payroll Girl let him go, though it killed her to do it. I felt like such crap that I contacted a local Dachshund rescue and begged them to take him in if I could find him again. They agreed and asked for a couple days to work out a foster home for him. This wasn't a problem because I didn't know where he was; we were just waiting for him to show up again.

The mechanic knew we were looking for him, and he called me this afternoon to tell me that the little guy was outside by the mailboxes. I hurried out and managed to lure him over to the building while Payroll Girl threw some dog food in a bowl. We coaxed him into the unused office again with the food. I gave him some water and left him in there while I called the Dachshund rescue. Janet, my contact in Albuquerque, didn't answer. I immediately felt sick. I didn't want to let him go again. He looked horrible. I could see each of his ribs protruding from his skin. I can't even explain how thin he is. I called Janet three more times, but didn't get an answer. I also e-mailed a couple other volunteers with the rescue in hopes that someone could help me today. I was even willing to stay late at the office until someone could arrive to get him. I just couldn't leave him there overnight.

At 4:00, Virginia called me back and said she would drive up from Los Lunas (30 minutes south of the Albuquerque airport) if I could meet her halfway. The airport is the halfway point between my office and her house, so it was a 25 minute drive for me, too. I immediately agreed. Anything to get our little guy into a vet and a home. He was so sweet in the car. I had to put him in a box because there was a chance he had mange. However, as long as he could smell me, he was okay. I met the woman in the cell phone waiting area of the airport. She took a look at him, then we packed him up in her car. She told me she had already notified the vet and made plans for him to be boarded there until he had a clean bill of health. She was so nice and thanked me multiple times for going out of my way to help. Really, I think I should have been thanking her for taking him in. I asked her to e-mail me and let me know about him.

So, I just checked my work e-mail, and she had already sent me a message about him.

( dachshund boy )

I am so ridiculously happy about this. Seriously. I cried after I got the e-mail because I'm so relieved he is okay. I've been worried about him for over two months. It is such a weight off my chest to know that he is going to be okay and isn't terminally ill or unable to recover from his condition. And knowing that he'll be sleeping somewhere warm tonight makes me smile. It snowed earlier this week, and I worried about him all night. In a few weeks, I might contact Janet and ask if I can come visit him. If I could, I would totally adopt him. But apartment regulations and all...

This makes my week. I'm so, so, so happy. :-)