A Dog's Tale

For many reasons, my being allergic at the top of the list, we don't have a dog.  This makes me sad at times, as I do love dogs.  I love and have two cats, so I am fortunately not suffering from the dreadful state of being pet-less. So, when my parents decided to adopt a dog, I kind of felt like it was part my dog, too.

Their adopting a dog means that I get the best of both worlds.  I get to visit the dog, love it, and then go home to my dog-free home.  Short visits with dogs don't seem to bother me, too much, unless there is a lot of fur in the house.  Usually, only the wet dog smell will send me into sneezes on top of a stuffy nose and watering, itchy eyes.

They found their little dog at a rescue not too far from my home.  After they decided to adopt her, we went for a quick visit.  She was a little darling of a thing.  At that time, we thought she was a mix between a beagle and a boxer.  We did not know of or had ever heard of the basenji, which she is so obviously part of.  She has a beagle head on the body of a basenji.  So cute!

She has the energy of a basenji and their affectionate nature.  She, I keep calling her that, but her name is Mercy Jane, is less than a year old and was a stray, sort of.  She was running loose, picked up by the shelter's manager and when the manager asked around about the dog, the owner, who had seven kids and was a bit overwhelmed, decided to give her up.  Mercy went to the shelter and started the process to adoption.

Mercy does not know a stranger.  People find her instantly charming.  Mom and Dad have a keeper!