I have been including short cat stories with my weekend crafting links, but today I have a dog story for you, and while it is not a short story, I will try to give you the Reader’s Digest version.
We have two dogs, Jasper (left) and Rocky (right). They get along great, like two peas in a pod from the first day we adopted them and brought them home from the Humane Society. A number of years ago, we had three dogs, all of whom eventually left us due mainly to old age. (Yes, it sucks that our pets can’t live forever!) These three dogs got along for the most part, but we did have territory and dominance issues that we just have not experienced with these guys, and I tend to think some of it is the difference between having two vs. three dogs.
So to say that I was freaking out when I found out that my husband had picked up a dog who was crossing a busy street and was about to get run over was mixed. Of course, I was happy the dog didn’t get killed, but I was very worried that we would not find its owners and end up with a third dog. The dog, a beagle, did have a collar and tags, but the tags were so scratched up that you could not read them, and he had no chip we discovered after hubby brought him to our vet’s office. The little guy was very clean and super well-behaved, so this plus the collar told us he had owners out there who cared and would hopefully call animal control, who eventually we decided to have take the dog.
The next day, I made a few million phone calls because I wanted to be sure that animal control would give the owners enough time to call and so would the Humane Society, which is where he would go to after 5 – 7 days at animal control. Once he went to the Humane Society, though, he was going into basically a black hole because their policy is that they won’t tell you what happens to an animal once it is at the shelter.
I remember a woman I had worked with years ago who knew everyone in the world around here when it comes to dogs and emailed a mutual friend in the hope that I could contact her and get the inside scoop in case the beagle got moved to the HS. As it turns out, my friend suggested I contact a local beagle rescue woman instead; again, my idea was to get the dog a home in case his owners didn’t show up to claim him.
Now this is where it gets really weird. I called the rescue lady, and as I began to tell her my story, “My husband found a beagle yesterday crossing 25th Street….” we both started to realize that she knew the owner of the dog. In fact, she had rescued the dog before and adopted him out to someone. As it turns out, the owner was at the hospital with his wife who was very ill and someone else was “watching” the dog. He had found out about Bailey, the beagle’s name, being missing and had called her in tears.
Yes, that was his dog! I can’t tell you how relieved I was not to have a third dog in our house and to find this guy’s owners. Talk about fate and the stars aligning at the right time!
Okay, that is today’s pet story. Now onto some fabulous crafting links for you to enjoy!
Aileen’s Musings
Aileen shows you how she created her ceramic mermaid tile.
Craft Buds
Do you dream of writing a book on your craft? Read a craft book editors tips for ways to make a book proposal pop, plus a checklist of basic book proposal components.
Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at a crafty world
This week at Craftside there is a tutorial on how to paint a black cat, a tip on how to stop a handsaw from binding, fun photos from Maker Faire New York, and a recipe for a yummy trifecta veggie burger.
Eileen – The Artful Crafter
Save this fall’s flower and vegetable seeds to make handmade paper cards that will bloom in the garden next spring!
Lindsay Sews
If you like crafting for a cause, check out Lindsay’s handmade earrings project. There’s also a fabric button earrings giveaway.
Mixed Media Artist
Cyndi finally decided to stop hoarding her sunprinted fabric and use it for a project instead!
Stefanie Girard’s Sweater Surgery
How to make recycled milk jug skull Halloween decorations.
About Family Crafts
This week’s craft challenge is all about crafting with shoe boxes… Do you have a project to share?
