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| Name: |
Ginger Snap
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Age: |
Eight years old
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| Gender: |
Female |
Breed: |
Dog |
| Home: |
Kentucky, USA |
Miss
Ginger Snap became my special baby in June, 2001. I was visiting some
family one day in rural Grayson Co. Kentucky and noticed her walking down
the road. I approached her to see if she was wearing a collar - but she
was very timid and scared of me. She ran into a nearby field. I tried for
at least 30 minutes to coax her out of some thick brush - then I just gave
up figuring she belonged to one of the local farm families. I walked back
to the house where my family and I were sitting out on the front porch
enjoying a nice early summer evening. I actually forgot about her until I
saw her come into the yard about 30 minutes later. She was looking right
at me as she slowly crept onto the lower porch away from where we were
sitting. She laid under a lawn chair and looked at me as if to say - "OK,
here I am. Please help me!" As I got a better look at her - I saw that she
was terribly malnourished and infested with ticks and fleas. I immediately
bundled her up and took her home with me.
The next day - I took her straight to a vet office. The doctor who
examined her figured she was about one year old at the time - basing her age
on the condition of her teeth. I am not exaggerating when I estimate that
I removed at least 100 ticks and parasites from her little dehydrated
body. I also noticed that she would try to catch bugs outside in the yard
and eat them - I'm sure that's how she survived until I found her.
After a week or so of constant love, good food and water, and multiple
baths - she began to wag her tail at me and actually bark when the
doorbell rang! She was home! I have always said that when she came into
the yard the first night I saw her - she picked me to rescuer and friend.
As she has aged, we have continually had issues with anxiety and
socialization with other people - especially children. She has never been
aggressive around other people, she just hides under my bed when company
comes. I'm again guessing that she must have been abused in some way the
first year of her life. Six years ago, someone missed the opportunity to
provide Ginger with, at the very least, basic shelter and food. I truly
believe that that person's neglect and abuse is still in her memory. She
has come a long way though. She is a little clown when we play games and
she'll pose for me in multiple positions waiting for me to say "Oh, that's
cute!" She gives high fives and insists on a belly rub before we go to
sleep.
I have never been sure of what breed or breed mix she is - although she
does have purple patches on her little tongue. It doesn't matter to me
what kind of dog she is - I just know that I could not have gone to a pet
store, animal shelter, or breeder and found anything as perfect as she is
in my eyes! So please, if you ever see a starving animal or an animal that
is being neglected and abused - take the time to do something to help.
Dogs and cats especially - they depend on human beings for basic
needs... and in return give the love and devotion no human being could ever
be capable of!
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