From commentor Bob D:
I first saw Gypsy when she chased my car after pre-settlement inspection of our new house in Western North Carolina in early march 2005. I didn’t see her again for several months since she hid when my pack of four dogs passed her home. She had chased one of our cats up a tree in the woods near her home, but she ran away when we got the cat down.
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Gypsy was an outdoor dog whose owners had moved away and asked their renter to take care of the dog. About 4 months after we moved in a roommate moved in with the renter and brought his boxer, Ginger, with him. Ginger joined our pack for our twice daily walks and soon Gypsy joined too. The renters in the only other house on the street felt that Gypsy and Ginger were not being fed and watered regularly and started feeding them. Soon both dogs moved onto their porch and that’s the way it stayed for about a year. The roomies were no better paying rent than they were taking care of dogs and got evicted. Ginger left and Gypsy stayed on the porch.
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The couple taking care of Gypsy moved out about a year later and couldn’t take Gypsy with them, so they asked the renter coming in after them to take care of Gypsy. Unfortunately, the new renter was one of the roomies who didn’t take care of the dogs last time he had a chance. So we made sure Gypsy had food and water. One of our dogs came down with leptospirosis (a contagious kidney/liver infection). After our dog recovered, we asked the current keeper if he minded if we took Gypsy to the vet. We got a “do what you want”.
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My wife felt that she had a special bond with Gypsy and wanted to be the one to take her for a checkup. We put a kennel leash on her and she just froze. I had to pick her up and put her in the car. The vet’s aides had to carry her in and out since she refused to move when on the leash. After she got her shots my wife dropped her off in front of her home and she just followed my wife to our house. So, I don’t know if we technically saved her as much as she saved herself.
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She’s been with us ever since and she’s now and indoor dog living the good life. Though she still doesn’t like going to the vets.
Nikki
Gypsy is obviously very smart. She knows where to find the hand that feeds her.
JPL
The first thing that I do when I rise is the NYTimes puzzle (except on Friday and Saturday) and then I visit Balloon Juice to read about the rescues.
What a pleasant surprise when I discovered the theme of the puzzle was an event that has not yet occurred. (10/30/10)
According to the crossword blog
The rescue story is also a significant event in the life of Gypsy. Maybe Bob will share pictures of all the animals in the pack someday.
WereBear
Awww, lucky Gypsy. She’s such a beautiful dog, with her “Siamese” markings.
It can be tough to move with pets, but I’ve done it many times. Things have gotten better, though, and there’s lots of resources on the web to help convince one’s future landlord.
I’m also fortunate that I have cats at the moment; and they are easier to move with.
Kristine
Yea for Gypsy and good wishes on you.
Nice way to start this rainy, windy morning.
comrade scott's agenda of rage
Another great story. Go Gypsy!
wonkie
What a beautiful girl. I’m sure shhe is gald she has a home now.
The rescue where I vgolunteer just got a dog after he lived onthe streets for three years.
The story starts nnearly four years ago…a man came to our rescue with a box of filty sick pupppies and a terrifed mother, covered with feces and stinking. Themother dog was cleraly afraid of everyone and especially afraid of the man but he said she was his dog. He said he had three otehr dogs and was beinng evicted. Our kennel master wnet to look at the property and found a backyard kennel tht was flooded and muddy. Inn the mud were the decomposing bodies of puppies. Someone had openned the kenel and the dogs were gone. The female was undedr the house with her new litter. After several attempts she ws live trapped and save with her babiers. One male was never heard of again. The other became a neighborhood resident, and lived ontghe kindness of strangers for three years. That’s Curly who is down at the rescue righht now.
The first feamle, patsy, lost her fear of peolpe and was adopted. The other female, after three years of attempts to domesticte her, remains feral, but has a home with the rescue. All the puppies survived and have been adopted.
People are amazing. To treat dogs so badly for so long and yet to put one dog family in a box to give to a rescue. The people who owned these dogs were drug addicts and didnn;’t treat their kids much vbetter thanthe dogs.
Annie
Gypsy is beautiful. It breaks my heart how cruel people can be — move, just abandon your pet as if he/she never depended on you — I just don’t get it. Thankfully, you and your family were there to rescue her.
4jkb4ia
In response to David Brooks,
4jkb4ia’s List of House Democrats Who Voted No On Reconciliation Act with Nate’s Ratings Thereof:
Adler(NJ) Tossup
Altmire OK
Arcuri Lean Takeover
Barrow OK
Berry Retiring
Boren OK
Boucher OK
Bright Lean Takeover
Chandler Even Takeover
Childers “Likely Takeover”(toast)
(You see this was not difficult already)
Cooper OK
Davis (AL) Ran for governor. Lost.
Davis (TN) Lean Takeover
Edwards(TX) Likely Takeover
Herseth Sandlin Lean Takeover
Holden OK
Kissell Tossup
Kratovil Likely Takeover
Marshall Lean Takeover
Melancon Running for Senate
McIntyre Tossup
Matheson OK
Minnick “Takeover Possible” because it’s Idaho
Nye Lean Takeover
Peterson Assumed safe–no real polling
Ross OK
Shuler Takeover Possible
Skelton Tossup
Space Takeover Possible
Tanner Likely Takeover, at least the district
Taylor Lean Takeover
Teague Lean Takeover
In other words, David Brooks Does Not Know What He Is Talking About on the level of saying that MIT was not practical or some such thing. He got wonderful beatdown letters on that one.
(All Senate Democrats voted for it at some point or other. David Brooks also ignores the talking point that Democrats are not getting out and selling any of their accomplishments.)
4jkb4ia
David Brooks only knows what he is talking about if you include Republicans, and that includes things like party brand, how conservative their districts were to start with, and the general issue of “spending”. “Spending” is not the health care bill. There are many things in the health care bill that people actually like.
GG
That’s funny — we recently tried to put a harness on our cat (thought we’d let her walk around in our back yard), and she did the same thing. Total muscular failure. It became a battle of wills — we tried treats, toys, everything. No dice.
asiangrrlMN
Sad story with a happy ending. Gypsy is a beautiful girl and obviously very smart.