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One day on my way to work the week between Christmas and New Years, I noticed a little black dog sitting atop a slight incline in front of a fence that led to a used car parts junkyard. As I stopped at the corner to turn, he looked to be a couple of months old and was intently watching each car that passed, turning his head back and forth. My first thought was that someone must have dropped him off and he was watching for that person to return to take him back home. I called Luther when I arrived at work, but no responses came from his announcement.
The next morning, there was the little dog again, in the same spot. It was quite cold. The following day and weekdays and Saturdays thereafter I would take him dry food, biscuits, and water. But as soon as I would pull over and get out of my car, the little dog would run back under the hole in the fence to his "safe haven" under debris and steel beams. Around the third day, when I stopped, a lady (Judy) who worked in an office across the street walked over and asked if I was trying to catch the dog. I explained that I already had two dogs but wanted to provide food and maybe help catch it and find a good home. She informed me that she too was feeding the dog as was another young lady who stopped each morning. About a week later I was running late one morning, after I left the food and got back in my car, a small van pulled in and a young lady exited with a big bag of dry dog food. This was Renee, and she was in hopes of making friends with the dog (which she thought was a female and started calling her Ali) and perhaps adopting her. Several weeks passed, and we three kept in touch, still feeding Ali each day, and trying to think of how in the world we could get this dog to stop being so frightened so we could rescue her. It would not come to us, always waiting until we walked or drove away to eat the food and drink the water we left. Renee contacted the lot owner and made arrangements to enter the fence and try to approach Alli. The dog showed no aggression, but again was so frightened that she retrieved to her safe spot under the steel beams. About 2 weeks ago, Renee learned that the lot was being torn down/dismantled, so she contacted Animal Services, Robin, you (H.A.N.D.) , and anyone else she thought might help. Also, Judy contacted Middle Valley Animal Hospital which she uses for her 6-7 dogs to see if they would administer shots or address health issues. Finally 2 weeks ago Animal Services placed a trap on the lot. On the 3rd day, she entered it, but we were told she would not be picked up until the next day, and it was so cold with rain and snow falling, so Judy's husband came and covered the trap with plastic to keep Ali dry and hopefully not quite so cold. I was an hour late leaving work that day, and as I rounded the corner of Riverside and Wilder, there sat the CPD Animal Services pickup van beside the fenced lot. I stopped and asked if he was picking up Ali. He said he already had her but didn't now where he was to take her. I told him Middle Valley, so he called. They were getting ready to close because of the bad weather. He talked them into waiting for him. Ali had her first warm/dry night under a real roof! That was Thursday. I went to see her on Saturday and was told it turned out Ali is a male, so is now named Alex. All is going really good for Alex right now. He is still sheltered at the clinic, about to be neutered and given his shots. To make this rescue a true success though, we need a loving home--with a fenced yard. Dr. Mathews says he should make a good family pet but needs to be inside or in a fenced yard. He is so very loving/affectionate/playful. He has played with Renee's children when she took them to the clinic and they all love him but do not have a fenced yard or good place for Ali. Please help us find Alex a loving family/good home. His first few months on this earth haven't been so great, but we're confident a loving family will turn this around.
Patti Crownover
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