| When I was a kid of twelve, there was a big | | | | going to become a member of our family! |
| blizzard in the small town I grew up in. My father | | | | When our mother saw the wet, muddy and very |
| had walked home for lunch that particular day, | | | | cold puppy, she took her upstairs and gave her a |
| and told us that someone had dropped off or | | | | warm bath and towel dried her. What a beautiful |
| 'dumped' a litter of four puppies in the center of | | | | puppy she was! |
| town. He told us they looked like Collie puppies. | | | | When our father came home from work later |
| My younger sister and I, being total animal lovers, | | | | that afternoon, he had heard that all of the |
| immediately put on our winter outerwear and ran | | | | puppies were adopted by sympathetic people that |
| into town to see for ourselves. Sure enough, the | | | | were in town that day. |
| poor, wet and cold puppies were trying | | | | We took the female pup to our veterinarian that |
| desperately to get into the local banks' front door | | | | week and upon examining her, the vet told us |
| whenever customers would enter or exit! | | | | that he was quite convinced that she was a |
| We lured the five puppies away from the town | | | | full-bred Collie! She was the sweetest, prettiest |
| center into a neighboring lot. They appeared to be | | | | dog I have ever known! Lizzie lived a very happy |
| no more than 6 or 7 weeks old! We played with | | | | life with our family until she died at the age of |
| them for a bit, then started walking the two | | | | fourteen. She was loved by all and is still missed. |
| blocks back home. We were just hoping that | | | | How on earth could a human being gather up a |
| some adults in town would gather them and take | | | | whole litter of young, innocent puppies, put them |
| them home so they would be safe. As we | | | | in his or her car, drive to the nearest town, and |
| started walking away, all of the puppies ran after | | | | just release them in the middle of a snowstorm? |
| us for a few yards or so, then turned back and | | | | We never found out unfortunately, who had |
| started wandering as a group back toward town. | | | | abandoned those puppies that cold winter day. |
| One female puppy however, looked back at us, | | | | Dog abandonment is a crime which is punishable |
| then looked at her litter mates, then back and us | | | | by law most everywhere and is an inexcusable |
| again, and came running to us and followed us | | | | act. |
| home. We knew that very instant, that she was | | | | |