うちのイカ犬/ My Funny Looking Boy, Squiddy

去年の夏、コナンが突然天国に行った。私が言うのも変だが、立派なボクサーだった。リードなしで五番街を歩ける様な犬。酷い鬱状態になった私を救ってくれたのが、ボクサー・レスキューから引取ったペイシー。　ペイシーは耳が聞こえない、白いボクサーもどき。イカみたいな顔してるし、寝ている時は苺大福.  引取った当初は、情けない犬だった。筋肉付いてないし、全く自信がない。でも、こんな犬も魅力がある。

この子は、2007年のバレンタイン・デイに、フロリダのAlligator Alleyに ある公園で拾われシェルター行きとなった。その後、誰かが引取ったものの、こいつ甘え噛みが始まるとしつこいし(痛い)、遊び好きで凄い勢いで飛びついて来るので、その人はアタックされたと勘違いしたらしい。その後、ボクサー・レスキューの人に引取られたが、その家の他のボクサー達から酷い虐めにあう。仕方 ないので、ペット・ホテルに預けられていた。

当初は、ボランティアで飼い主が見つかるまで里子として面倒見るつもりだった。ところが１ヶ 月後、この子を引取りたい人が現れた。私はペイシーはその人に引取ってもらい、他のボクサーを里子にするつもりであった。ところが、その朝、ペイシーは静 かに私の膝に大きな頭をもたげて、動こうとしない。きっと何か気づいていたんだと思う。私はその時、この子を引取ろうと決心した。

近所のオス犬はコナンを恐れていた(メス犬には、異常にモテたが)。ところが、ペイシーは友達がすぐできる。他の犬と遊べない犬でも、友達にしてしまう。多分、他の犬も警戒しない程能天気なんだろう。子犬の時から、たらい回しにされたから、世渡りの名人なのかもしれない。

Last year, I lost Conan, a tremendous dog...he was a perfect dog, his beauty and his attitude...I could walk him on 5th Ave. NYC without leash.   I was deeply depressed.  But fostering Pacey (sometimes called Squiddy) brought me out of the darkness.   He is a funny looking boxer (I doubt he is pure).  He is deaf, but he sometimes makes me think that he is faking it.  He looks like a squid with a sad long face, and his coat is so thin that he feels like marshmallow.  When he came, he was so wimpy looking....made me feel sorry for him.  Now I am in love with his imperfection.

This boy was abandoned in a park near Alligator Alley.  He was found on Valentine's Day 2007 and taken to a shelter.  Someone from St. Petes adopted him but she thought he started attacking her according to the paperwork.  I kind of understand why she was afraid.  He is excessively playful.  When he is happy, he starts nibbling my hands obsessively and he jumps on me (can be seen as a Kujo moment).  But that was all playing, and I managed to tame him.  So she surrendered Pacey to the Boxer Rescue.  He was then attacked by other boxers at the foster home.  After that he had been kept in a boarding facility for a while. 

 

Initially, I did not intend to adopt Pacey.  I just wanted to foster boxers that needed help.  A month later, a nice gentleman decided to adopt Pacey.  I was ready to let him go.  When I was about to call him, something magical happened.  Pacey slowly came to me and hugged me gently and  stayed there for a while.  I felt he knew what was going on.....I totally broke down and decided to keep him.

Though female dogs loved Conan, he totally intimidated and dominated neighborhood male dogs.  Pacey is different.  He is shamelessly friendly to everyone.  He makes friends with dogs that never play with other dogs.  I guess his tough life as a puppy made him a master charmer.