Stupid allergies. They make you look like you’re a big crybaby, your eyes watering and making you blow your nose and then your eyes watering some more.
I’m really bummed. We had to get rid of Snoopy, the last dog from Daisy’s litter, last night. She was only 7 years old, but she has become more and more snappish since the grandbabies were born. We had talked about it for a couple of months since she had snapped at Savannah once before but hadn’t really done anything about it. Well, the final straw came last Friday. She bit Savannah completely unprovoked. Tabitha was watching as the baby was just climbing onto the couch away from the dog, not looking at her or bothering her in any way and the dog just bit her on the forehead and broke the skin. We had made plans to get rid of her before and had offered to my oldest daughter (it was her dog pretty much since it was born. She used to lie on Lizzy’s hand on her back and get her belly rubbed) to find one of her friends or in-laws to take the critter, but a 50 lb dog that snaps at toddlers is not a popular choice. Then yesterday she snapped at Tabitha for no reason. I couldn’t wait any longer. Anyone who knows Tab, who worked at a vet’s office for a year-and-a-half with all manner of dogs and cats, knows that if there was ever a person in the world that knows animals and how to treat them it’s her. There isn’t a more even-tempered, soft-spoken animal lover anywhere.
Since I am the guy that wears the black hat, I had it to do. I thought it would be easier than it turned out to be, though. I did it because I had it to do, but I didn’t like it. The fact that it was the right thing to do didn’t make it any easier. Tabitha and Abigail went with me and said their tearful goodbyes. I tried to be tough, after all I do wear the black hat, but, well, I never realized before that I had all these allergies which started springing up at the worst possible moment.
This morning as I type this there are only the cats asking me all manner of questions. Fee-Foe and Fraidy cat have grown up with her since they were kittens and Cookie got along with her tolerably well. Bagheera is the only one who doesn’t seem too bothered, but even he is curious. He had liked to taunt the dog, who took a hate to him right off the bat and would sit just out of Snoopy’s reach and listen to her bark and growl.
I’m really bummed, but a dog has to be decent around kids. There are too many stories in the papers these days about dogs and kids and I didn’t want to be the one in the paper that made everyone say, “Well, if that grandfather knew that dog had snapped at one of the kids, why didn’t he do something about it before this all happened?” Anyway, there is no dog sitting here nagging me to let her out this morning, interrupting me while I’m typing.
Stupid allergies.
