The Stray Dog, part 7

A day of high emotions for a dog and his buddy
As this is a long series you may have missed an installment – the links are below for what came before

---

A happy dog and his smile -- is there anything better? (Image by Krazy Uncle)

---

I’m having a little trouble starting today’s update, and I’m going to go into the details as quickly as I can so everyone isn’t worrying. Karl and I are okay. I took Karl into the vet at noon and we got in to see a technician quickly. She scanned Karl and immediately found a microchip. The number came up on her scan tool and she went to her laptop to check for any information. Nothing came up on her database, so she excused herself to consult with a doctor.

After about ten minutes the technician and doctor entered the exam room and the doctor introduced herself and explained that the chip is related to an account in a town fifty miles away. The doctor continued to explain that none of the three phone numbers associated with the microchip were still in service. In the course of our conversation the doctor also let it slip that one of the numbers was from the small town five miles to my east, but like most rural areas my address is also listed as from this small town. The other number is listed as an area code from the state of Virginia?

It turns out there is also a Facebook page linked to the microchip, and the doctor informed me that they were required by law to post a comment on that page to inform the previous owner that their dog has been rescued. My heart sunk…

At this point the clock is ticking – will the previous owner come forward in five days and claim Karl, as the Doctor says the owners can still claim him? Or will he become my forever buddy?

Of course I didn’t bother asking for any information about the Facebook page, I knew that the clinic couldn’t release that information. So, only time will tell how this plays out…

I’ll probably contact my local Sheriff’s office tomorrow and see if they want to get involved and contact the Vet clinic about the owner’s name on the chip and go from there. As much as I want to keep Karl, maybe someone else does too. A person never knows in these situations, maybe a sweet little old lady in her waning years is pining for her sweet, lovable puppy. Or, maybe some lowlife meth head is looking for some poor dog to kick around again – Damn!

The doctor emphasized that either way she wanted me to take Karl home today, well… yeah! She felt that would be the best for Karl, but I’m sure she could see it would be better for me too. She also asked me that if they are contacted by the previous owner could they contact me… uh… of course. I still have visions of a sweet old meth head Grammy stomping Karl, but… well… what can I do? I will be asking for visitation rights and wellness checks, if I can get away with it.

Okay, another reason I don’t want to let go of Karl is this; the doctor asked me if I wanted to know Karl’s other name, of course I did, who wouldn’t? Get this someone named him “Copper” now there’s nothing wrong with that name in particular, but Karl is not a Copper. C'mon!… for crying out loud even I know Karl is too much of a gentleman for the name Copper… geez… okay maybe Copper would be okay for a gangsta name… but, Karl is manly man man’s name and Karl is nothing if not a gentle manly man!

Okay, that’s the rough stuff. Now for the good news. Karl is in very good health, other than the fleas and ticks. He does have a mild case of Cherry Eye in one eye. Cherry Eye is where part of the inner eye membrane starts to prolapse outward. The doctor told me to keep an eye on… his eye. And, if it got worse it would require micro surgery to the tune of about eight hundred bucks! Wha’! Thinking ahead I asked her if she needed any documents edited, or maybe some posters designed, or I could fix her car, or I could fix her computer, or paint her a picture and write her a story – she laughed and told me she’d keep it in mind.

More about Karl, she told me she thinks he’s younger than she first thought, based on the Tartar build up on his teeth. Although that is the most reliable way to check a dog’s age, it isn’t fool proof if Karl’s previous owner had his teeth cleaned. How old did she think Karl is? Around two years old. Pretty cool, huh? She told us, his heart and lungs sound good, and she was surprised that Karl’s ears were so clean. She stated that he is the only Cocker Spaniel she’d ever checked that didn’t have some kind of ear problems. Karl could have told her that, if he spoke. We all know he’s a superior dog!

During the doctor’s inspection of Karl, the flea and tick issue kept coming up and the fact that Karl has so many burrs and mats in his hair – she should have seen him before I spent five hours brushing his hair out yesterday! Then she informed us that she could shave the bad areas on Karl, but if I had time she could get a technician to shave all of him from the neck down for thirty-five dollars. Both our ears perked up and our tongues dropped out with lotsa slobber at those words. We were both in Love with our new doctor-lady friend. We tried to play it cool, but I’m sure she could see we were thrilled by that idea. She reiterated a couple times that the shave wouldn’t be a cosmetic trim, and I said an industrial haircut is just fine with us. Besides, we don’t think our future girl friends are gonna mind the chopped look as much as they would the ticks and fleas. Are we right? Okay, do it! We said sorta calmly. I’m sure the smile on her face wasn’t one of sly knowing about our happiness. She did say that she was going to have to work Karl in throughout the day as they hadn’t planned on such an endeavor, yea – yea – yea! Do it to us doc!

I told the doctor I could leave Karl there and come back later, and she quickly took me up on that offer. I know how much easier it is to not have a customer in the waiting room pretending to be patient.

---

Restin' in the cool... cool wheat (Image by Krazy Uncle)

---

I left and went to the store, and I was only there for a few minutes before I got a call from Karl and me’s new girlfriend/doctor-lady and she told me she was having a problem with shaving Karl’s feet. He started nipping at her, not nipping hard, but enough to be a concern. She wanted to know if I wanted to stop with one foot shaved or did I want her to sedate him and do the other legs. It’s a no brainer for me, I wanted Karl shaved – everywhere. Once he’s shaved it will be cooler for him and it will be easier for me to get to any ticks that might reappear. The doctor is not going to put him out, but just kinda make him a little loopy and relaxed. The only caveat to the doctor’s offer was that she was going to have to keep Karl overnight and I couldn’t pick him up until late afternoon tomorrow. My only real concern is for Karl’s health and happiness, so that is what I told the doctor. She knows Karl and I are bonded, and she had remarked as much during the earlier exam. She put my mind at ease by telling me Karl had climbed into his sleeping bed with almost no coaxing. That’s my little gentleman!

How did Karl do at the vet? He charmed everyone, what else? He is so gentle and easy going, and everyone is so surprised how far he’s come from where he was in his previous survival state. There is a lot of curiosity at the Vet's office about how he came to be in the wild. And, I asked the doctor to make sure she got Karl’s story if he is claimed. Like you I’m hoping that I don’t have to see Karl leave to learn that story.

So, if anyone’s keep track, I’m going to be into the clinic for about two bills. If Karl’s owners want to stiff me for it, I’ll probably let it slide. I’m not a civil suit kinda guy, too much negative energy involved. Besides in the end, even if my relationship with Karl is cut short, I’m doing this for him. And, I am receiving far more from him than I can ever count.

One last thing, since I got home I realize just how much space a twenty-five pound Karl takes in my heart, and house. The place seems empty without Karl.

Check in tomorrow for a new update – thank you…

---

To see what you’ve missed so far here are the links to the previous installments.
The Stray Dog part 1: https://steemit.com/dogs/@krazyuncle/the-stray-dog
The Stray Dog part 2: https://steemit.com/dogs/@krazyuncle/the-stray-dog-part-2
The Stray Dog part 3: https://steemit.com/dogs/@krazyuncle/stray-dog-part-3
The Stray Dog part 4: https://steemit.com/dogs/@krazyuncle/the-stray-dog-part-4
The Stray Dog part 5: https://steemit.com/dogs/@krazyuncle/the-stray-dog-part-5
The Stray Dog part 6: https://steemit.com/dog/@krazyuncle/the-stray-dog-part-6