Seven is the Luckiest Number

Lucky turned seven this weekend. Well, that's what we guesstimate anyway. After all, we did find her...beat to shit and surviving the best she could on the streets six years ago. It is hard for me to remember her as she was then. Scared to death of anything and everything, scrawny as hell, scraped, cut, bleeding and missing a tooth. Of course, anyone with a piece of sausage in their hand could cut through her defenses and we have been doling them out steadily since she broke our hearts and made suckers out of us.

Therefore, it was timely that I found myself rescuing a stray dog earlier this week. Before Lucky, I might have turned a blind eye to the pooch racing insanely down the side of Manchaca in morning traffic during a downpour. But my evil black familiar has changed me and I love all things canine. Therefore, I set in motion an hour spent sprinting through the rain, tripping on a frog and muddying myself from tit to toe to secure the escapee in my backyard. Without any tags or means of identification, I was at a bit of a loss as to what to do with him. And Lucky said ain't no way on God's green earth is she sharing her home with any other dogs so that option was ruled out a long time ago. My friend, Pat Bancroft, from Blue Dog Rescue advised me what to do. It's great counsel so I am sharing here. Hopefully, it will come in handy should any of you be inclined to get a dog that doesn't need to be on the streets somewhere safe. I am sure these tips apply most anywhere but they are most relevant to Austin given what a great organization Town Lake Animal Center (TLAC) is with its low euthanasia numbers and a history of working with local animal rescue organizations.

• Determine if the dog is microchipped. This can be done by taking it to a vet or animal shelter.

• If the animal is injured or ailing, most emergency clinics will take care of them until the owner is found or they can be relocated to a shelter.

• If the animal is unidentifiable, TLAC is the best place to take them. Owners can find them there and if ill they will receive care. Animals at TLAC are not rushed to euthanasia and are held for at least three days and some longer. TLAC works closely with local rescue groups like Blue Dog to ensure adoptable animals find a home. It’s a big part of the reason they have great numbers.

• If you have a neighborhood listserv, post the found dog’s information there. Craig’s List is an option as well. Be sure and be a little discreet about some of the dog’s details and make the owner fill you in to ensure the dog belongs to them. Pat at Blue Dog indicated that many times, you will receive a call shortly after posting.