Dogs, dogs, dogs

Work was work - lots of boarders went home (Yay!), I had some lab work to do - quick stain some blood smears, get blood spun and made ready to ship out tomorrow, a little of this and that. Mostly we were concerned with all the snow that fell. Officially Albert Lea got 6 inches but there was definitely more than that on the unplowed road this morning. Gigi  managed ok - I drove in the only other tracks on the road and there must have been a good 8 - 10 inches plus. Luckily the plow had done one side of the road so I was able to drive on the wrong side of the road to get to work. Jacky had to take the truck since the snow was so deep.
I took pictures of Jen's truck which had been sitting outside since Friday. One side was all ice because of the truck being plugged in. Dennis explained it to me - the truck is plugged in for the vet box which holds vaccines and drugs. It has to be cold in summer and warmer in winter (so things don't freeze) but that causes the snow to melt and run down the side of the truck, which then freezes. Flick'r is not letting me upload my pictures right now so I'll have to post them tomorrow. Technology, Humph!

I've been reading a book on my kindle about dog rescue. It really describes some of things that go on around here. While I'm sitting here, I have the newest dog, Zoey, curled up on my lap pushing against the lap top. She has to be a little separate from other animals because they make her a little nervous - especially the big cat Totoro. He is extremely pushy and needy and doesn't get the hint when you push back. Uli is alongside me under the blanket. Right now his whole goal is to be warm while he sleeps (I guess I get him up too early). Teddi the chihuahua was also on my lap but the laptop was bugging him so he moved to the top of the  sofa. Teddi tends to lick me a lot when I get home. Zoey was taking her turn at it too and I think I have the cleanest face in the county. Trixie, the corgi, doesn't like to be touched by other animals so she always picks a place across the room. She likes to lie on the hardwood floor which looks uncomfortable. But the minute a dog or cat strolls by her the growling starts. Every day I have to shush her. Gertie bops around visiting everyone. Usually at this time she visits them to wash their ears. All the dogs and the kittens allow this - even Trixie surprisingly enough. Casey is sprawled out on the floor. She can't hear and can't see very well but still manages ok. Ever since I had Mike take out the tumor on her shoulder, she's a little slower, but a dog of 14 years is going to be! That leg looks to me to turn in slightly but since Mike had to cut a lot of muscle, I'm not surprised. The kitten brothers are curled up on the sofa next to me. They spent the day outside and are always quite worn out in the evening. Soon they will have to visit the vet to get neutered but they are really the nicest kittens I've ever had. Bottle-fed, they show their affection by gently biting me on the chin or neck. Jacky doesn't appreciate it when they leap onto his shoulders from the kitchen table uninvited but, as long as you know they're coming, I think it's fine.
Back to the pack - Willie is spread out in the middle of the floor. He's come a long way from the days when he wouldn't come out from behind the kitchen table. It took years for him to get comfortable enough to relax in the same room as us. He still hates it when someone touches him when he's sleeping - animal or people. Mostly he just growls and jumps up to move but it seems he still doesn't completely let his guard down after years of living here. Bryn is also sleeping, but against the sofa. She likes to have something against her back.. Usually she can't settle down at night - always herding cats. Sometimes she even falls asleep sitting there staring at the cats. Tonight though she is relaxing for a while. She also doesn't socialize with the other dogs much - unless it's to chase them outside. Then it's only certain dogs and  the little dogs that chase her run the risk of being attacked by Bryn when she gets fed up with the yapping and chasing.So far Teddi has lost the tip of his ear and I've stopped attacks on Trixie, Willie (or him on her), Zoey, and Candy. Our routine involves letting the dogs out in two groups to minimize this. It doesn't always work - sometimes she is just too wound up.
Candy is curled up in the dog bed next to me. She is my introvert supreme. It took a year for her to stop hiding under the furniture when I first brought her home. She's happiest when outside, running around. Coming from a puppy mill, she didn't have any chance to learn how to run until she came here. Even today Candy will come to say hello but then prefers to leave the room for the rest of the pack. She can be difficult for me to get close to but Anna and Oma love her but her quiet ways. She just really needs a less chaotic household! Magic is curled up in the other room. She prefers to also be away from the main activity - unless
Anna is here. Sometimes she will come and stand by me. Just stand, staring into the floor. Sometimes for hours. When Anna's home, Magic is quite active and vocal but not as much when it's just us. She will wooo for me when really happy and always gives me a big greeting.
That leaves Traeh who's standing beside me right now. Traeh is starting to show signs again of her Degenerative Myolopathy disease. She also sleeps a lot but that may be because she can't stay standing for any length of time anymore. She still enjoys the outside but inside she finds a comfy bed unless there's food to beg for.
Sometimes I think what it must be like to have just one or two dogs like a normal person. But I love having a pack of dogs of which I am their leader. I love rescuing dogs and making a difference in their lives. I now have friends who are like me and rescue what dogs they can. We all know we can't rescue every dog or cat or horse. But it's a pull, a calling, that can't be ignored. It's just so sad there are so many out there that need help.