Puppy No Name.

It was a warm and sunny Thursday over at St.A's, and like most other days, I was in the school parking lot taking a quick break before I went back to dial 3 testing (tests that applicants to the K3 and K4 program must take to get into the school). Our classrooms open right up to the parking lot, and while this is not a very safe set up, it is wonderful on warm days when you need a little sunshine to brighten your day, as I did for many reasons I wont get into on this blog post. 

While this was seeming to be a pretty normal Thursday in K4, around 2pm, I was faced with what I thought of at that moment as a life-altering decision. Right outside my classroom door (which was open) sat a little brown and black dog. Trying to walk past was the first grade class, the first grade teacher, the safety coordinator, and the school secretary. I would like to stress where I described this dog as LITTLE. Well, apparently, the list of people I just listed found the dog to be threatening and vicious. Being the animal lover I am, I had to step in. These poor first graders needed to get to the bathroom. The dog looked clean, was rolling on his back, and had a collar (nothing threatening at all). I went to the dog, who had no tags, and the school secretary started yelling something about rabies and animal control. All I heard was "We're gonna kill that little dog Miss Laskowski. Save him!" So, I did. I put that dog in my car and saved his little life.

Ever since I can remember, Chrissy has tried to get mom to get us a puppy, so she was the first person I bbm'd. "Chris, mom is gonna kill me, but I'm taking home a stray dog." She was ecstatic. Mom, not so much. However, she was not mad and did not kill me. The little dog and Max (big dog) got along well. Max did trample him a few times, not on purpose, but how can you not trample little dogs when you weigh 150 pounds? I took him to the vet to see if he was microchipped. He was not. Nor was he neutered. I posted an ad in the newspaper, which went unanswered. No one wanted this sweet little dog, who turned out to be between 1-2 years old, not the puppy we originally thought. 

While I was not attached to this dog in the least, my brother and sister both were. They gave the dog an identity crisis with the many names they tried out, Pockets, Paco, Antonio, and Buddy to name a few. Mom and I stuck to little dog or the occasional little guy.

Although he was a very sweet and obedient dog, he was not for me. I am a big dog person, not a little dog person. I decided I would take him to a no-kill animal shelter on Saturday morning. This is when Stephen and his girlfriend told me they would take him. I think this was her secret plan to adopt him, but it did not work. The No Name dog was adopted today!

To my mother: I am sorry I took the dog home. I learned my lesson that I can barely take care of myself, and definitely not a dog. You are the best mom ever for putting up with all my stupid ideas, but when I heard "animal control," I couldn't let that little dog die. You raised me better than that to let innocent animals die, however, I will never do this again. (Unless a random, stray, boxer puppy walks up to my classroom door.)