By River Hawthorne

I have a wonderful relationship with my neighbor’s dogs. I installed a doggie door so her dogs could come visit me at whim. She installed a gate in our chain link fence that divides our property so they would have easy access without leaving the gated yard between our places. After a while, I realized I had the benefit of pets without the feeding, maintenance, or vet bills.

I often watch them for her when she has to travel. One is a tiny black, but feisty, little Chihuahua mix and the other is a Pekinese mix without the pug nose. We call her Pebbles because her fur resembles multi-colored pebbles from a riverbed.

These dogs worked their way into my heart, until you would think I am their rightful owner. The last time I watched them for my friend and neighbor, I noticed Pebbles looked a little heavier and lower to the ground. I became very concerned for her. She was lethargic and slept more than usual. I also worried she might be ill and would require a visit to the vet in my neighbor’s absence. As a result, I kept a closer eye on her than usual until my friend’s return.

Pebbles is not a young dog. She is ten plus years old and ceased to go into heat a number of years ago. One time, my neighbor brought them with her on a visit to a family member’s place. This family member had a young male dog of indeterminate breed. He is considerably larger than Pebbles, but still only a medium sized dog at best. It is the only time Pebbles had occasioned to be around a male dog.

We became increasingly concerned as Pebbles would do a periodic yelp and then urinate all over herself. My neighbor consequently brought her to the vet for a check-up. They confessed they had no idea what was wrong with her and sent my friend home with a bottle of antibiotics. They told her to bring Pebbles back if the pain and behavior persisted.

One week later, I received a rather excited and agitated call in the middle of the night from my friend telling me Pebbles is having puppies! I didn’t believe her. I thought she might be playing a prank on me for April Fool’s Day. I laughed and said, "Yeah, yeah…and the next thing you are going to tell me is you are pregnant. Good one!" I exclaimed, hanging up the phone as I crawled back into bed. A minute later she was back on the line telling me I had to come over to see for myself.

Well, I love a good prank as well as the next person…just not in the middle of the night, if you please…so I sighed, quickly threw on a robe and slippers and shuffled through my somewhat eclectic landscaping to her back door and went in. What greeted my eyes was beyond my comprehension…there was the cutest little black and white puppy all curled up in a blanket hastily thrown on the floor. "Oh how cute! When did you get a new puppy? It looks so tiny. Is it a boy or a girl?"

"Pebbles is having puppies!" she gushed.

"What? No way! When did you get the little pup? This would be like telling me you just had a baby, for crying out loud." You must understand my neighbor is also past menopause, so it was an apt comparison. "My goodness, Pebbles is way too old for this! Okay…you are carrying this too far. You got me…wonderful, touché, good for you…and now if you don’t mind, I am going back to bed," I chastised her while preparing a hasty exit out her backdoor.

"No, really…Pebbles is having puppies!"

"Well then, where is she?"

"Under the bed."

"What is she doing under the bed?"

"She is having puppies! She cleaned this one up and then went under the bed to have more."

"Impossible!" I exhaled, fully alert now.

About this time, Pebbles entered the kitchen, took a casual drink of water, and then looked at us like we were stupid, while plopping herself down in front of my feet.

"Uh, Betty? I hate to tell you this, but she doesn’t look like she is birthing at the moment," now thinking she has lost her marbles. We rushed into her bedroom, plopped down on our bellies, and began to examine the underside of her modest double bed. Nothing. Not even a dust bunny.

As it turns out, Pebbles did indeed have a single pup. To the best of my knowledge, this is highly unusual beside the fact she is an old lady…I mean, "R-e-eally, Betty!" as I stared at the little pup suspiciously.

"What am I going to do, River? I am too old for this. I can’t handle the feeding and care of it and keep my sanity. Pebbles doesn’t want anything to do with it."

I sat down while she put on a pot of coffee; and we spent the remainder of the night debating the pros and cons of me caring for the pup. We both decided it wasn’t a very practical consideration. By this time, I had the pup and blanket all curled up in a ball in my lap. I had already fallen in love with it, but knew it was very impractical for me to care for it.

"Well, how did this happen anyway?" I asked her, ignoring the more obvious explanation. She then proceeded to tell me about her visit to her daughter’s place and all about their dog.

"Well, they can’t deny paternity! She finally laughed. "The pup doesn’t look a thing like Pebbles. He looks just like his father!"

I experienced a momentary discomfort. The more we thought about it, the more we became incensed at the image it conjured up in both our minds. By the time we reconciled our indignation it was daylight.

"This settles it! He can go home to his father, let him take care of it," she yelled over her shoulder as she made a beeline for the telephone. "Richard? Your dog attacked poor Pebbles, she just had his child, and you’d better get here quick, or I will sue for child support!"

The next thing I knew, Richard came rushing in with a cardboard box, a fresh supply of eyedroppers, bottles, and a brand new blanket. He stared at Betty, looked at me, picked up the pup and examined it carefully before gingerly placing it into the box. "Yep, it’s mine!"

Richard is her daughter’s husband. He recently had a heart attack, and had to have a pacemaker installed to keep his heart pumping. Richard was growing more and more despondent with his plight. He was having difficulty with the new device and had to return for additional surgery twice. He was still on the mend with little to occupy his days at home while recuperating.

I now realize the Lord really does work in mysterious ways. Richard had to feed the pup every two hours to keep it alive. It is now thriving and has doubled in size. He is just the cutest little thing you have ever seen. They are now inseparable and Richard has improved dramatically. I came to the conclusion; Pebbles had the pup just for him. I believe this constitutes a miracle.

Health care professionals have noticed the therapeutic effect of animal companionship, such as relieving stress, lowering blood pressure, and raising spirits.

Animals are fun to be with and comforting to hold. People who have pets benefit in various ways. For example, comfort of physical contact with animals, reducing their loneliness, and increased opportunities for meeting others, via their pets. In addition, caring for pets encourages nurturance, responsibility, and adherence to a daily schedule.

Animals have a way of accepting without qualification. They don't care how a person looks or what they say. An animal's acceptance is nonjudgmental, forgiving, and uncomplicated by the psychological games people often play. They accept you the way you are.

Many people are able to relax when animals are present. Tests have shown that the decrease in heart rate and blood pressure can be dramatic. Even watching fish swim in an aquarium can be very calming.

Some people feel spiritual fulfillment or a sense of oneness with life and nature when they are with their pets. This is hard to define or explain. Some well-known authors have described their relationships with animals and nature as part of their sustaining life energy and/or part of their communion and relationship with God.

Our miracle puppy is now thriving under Richard’s care. Yes, I believe in miracles.

Peace and Love, River

Data Source: Wikipedia

© 2007 River Enterprises All Rights reserved

Do you know what the e-mail said?



No?



Okay, just wondering. I didn't get one either.