A Christmas Story: Roadside Rescues

A Christmas (Eve Day) Story

I have a story for you about something that happened last year on this day. Christmas Eve is always a big event with our Italian family, so there’s lots of preparation and cooking — and of course, last minute shopping and giftwrapping — going on.  Last year, however, the holiday frenzy took a back seat to taking care of our beagle Pushkin, who during Christmas week was going into the pet hospital for daily IV fluid treatments. I was on my way to pick up our beloved beagle, navigating a busy road that was even busier with holiday traffic, when I spotted something mixed in with the cacti at the side of the road: all I saw were big ears… and eyes too big for a rabbit. I pulled over immediately, and there she was — the ugliest, cutest Boston Terrier you’ve ever seen.  I called to her and opened the car door. I instantly regretted that I never put those couple of dog treats in my glove box, as I swore I would after my last roadside rescue. Luckily, this little treasure — let’s call her Christmas — jumped right in without having to be enticed.

Tip #1:  Keep a couple of dog biscuits in a little ziplock baggie in your glove box.  Don’t have any in the pantry?  Ask a neighbor with a dog, or stop by a local pet store — they usually have free treats at the register for their canine customers, and I’m sure they would gladly give you a couple if you explained.

With Christmas safely in my car, we proceeded to the pet hospital. She didn’t have any tags, but she was a lover. She just looked at me with those big, trusting eyes — I knew she belonged to someone.  The first thing we did when I brought her inside was check for a microchip. Unfortunately, she didn’t have one.

Tip #2:  If a dog doesn’t have tags, take her to any nearby vet or pet hospital so they can scan for a microchip. (corollary: If you own a dog, please make sure she wears her tags, and please have her microchipped!)

I was adamant that this little sweetie was not going to animal control, who puts down 70% of all animals who come through the door. The Humane Society was an hour across town, so that wasn’t an option coming up on Christmas Eve and so close to dinner time. I did, however, call the Humane Society and make an initial report, just in case her guardian was looking for her and thought to call them.

Tip #3: Report a found dog to the local Humane Society.

Christmas and I picked up Pushkin, and the three of us decided to revisit the scene and cruise the neighborhood. We were looking out  for anyone walking around who looked like (s)he might be searching for a missing dog.  No such luck.  But we did come across a father and daughter who led us to some “dog people” in the neighborhood. They were an older couple who, as a nice twist to the story, previously had three Boston Terriers as family members. Unfortunately, they didn’t recognize Christmas as one of the neighborhood park’s regulars, but now I had allies in my mission to reconnect her with her guardian.

Tip #4:  Dog people know other dog people (and dogs)  in their neighborhood.
Tip #5:  Dog people are instant allies if you need some assistance.

Since my middle child Otis is not always Mr. Congeniality with other canines, I didn’t think bringing Christmas home for the holidays was such a great idea — only a last resort. My new “neighbors” helped us out.  It took some coaxing to get her out of my car, but  this little precious package was left in loving arms, once the couple and I exchanged phone numbers and I was assured that they would not take her to the shelter. The happy ending: by using the internet (Facebook!), the couple was able to reunite our little Christmas with her guardian only three days later.

Tip #6:  The internet is your friend. It’s easier now than ever to reach out to the community. See Missing Pets Search for more advice and ways to connect when you’ve found a dog, or yours goes missing.

Christmas stories with happy endings are wonderful, but roadside rescues happen everyday. Why not create happy endings throughout the year?

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