Monday Memories-a better way

 The hidden one-Silver

It had been raining for three weeks straight, the chill from the dampness clung to our skin and seeped into the bones.  My husband saw the sign for Husky/Lab pups and we raced in the car to pick out our girl. 

The rain steadily fell as we pulled into the drive of the suspected owners.  A slim black lab ran out to greet us, we spoke with the owner who pointed us next door to the puppies.  It turned out the black lab was the father of the said litter and the mother and pups were their neighbors.  These few moments with this man was the only human contact we had as we headed next door. 

We found a make shift shed with four black puppies with white splotches on their chest, all standing up waiting for us to pick them.  They nearly blocked out the little one who paced slowly behind all of them..  As I watched these eager puppies bouncing all over for our attention, I remember the depth of the chill in the air..  There was nothing but a dirt floor for these little ones.  My heart ached.  They were all about 7 weeks old and not equipped to handle the bitter dampness of Michigan fall weather.  I didn’t know it then, but something in me thought there had to be a better way. 

I turned to look at the mother, chained and sitting on top of her dog house.  She was completely drenched, so much so there was no way to tell what breed of dog she was.  Between the grey mist that surrounded us and distance she was from her babies, we could barely make eye contact.  Something wasn’t right about this.  This was not how it should be.  Being that we were getting ready to take one of her babies, I was afraid to evoke any contact with her, but I felt her sadness as heavy as the rain.  I looked her in the eye and silently told her, we will take care of her.  I thanked her for being the mother she was and swore on my life, I would make life better for this little pup than what she had.

As we picked up the little runt that was hidden behind everyone, I thank the mother dog for giving us this priceless gift and swore to honor all she had sacrificed for this tiny black jewel.  And in turn this mother taught me what it means to be a true dog mother so that the next generation would have everything she did not, a better life for the sake of love.

      One happy momma