Noah’s Hope: Tommy
Tommy
It was completely on impulse that I went into the disreputable pet store that day. Just inside the door was a tiny Yorkie, all alone in a tiny cage. I watched him as he spun a circle, stopped and looked at me, spun a circle, stopped and looked at me, again and again. I decided to ask some questions.
“How old is this puppy and why is he still here?” I asked.
“Well, I think he’s about 6 months old. The breeder wanted him back for a while for breeding purposes, and he just came back,” replied The Guy.
Right away I knew something was fishy. So I decided to meet the little pup. The poor thing was skin and bones. With two full sets of teeth, his mouth looked like a shark’s mouth. He had no interest in people, seemed to hear nothing and he walked in circles.
I had to ask how much he cost. The Guy looked at the paper on the wall and said “You’re in luck. He’s on sale for $650.”
I was shocked and asked what the regular price was: $695.
I WAS smart enough to walk out of the store at this point, but for the next couple of hours I couldn’t get this dog out of my mind. So I went back there with $400 cash in my pocket, ready to make an offer.
The Guy was not there and the employee that replaced him wasn’t any more helpful than he was. I repeated the same questions as before and got fewer answers. I inquired about discounts if a customer paid cash.
“How much do you want to spend?” she asked me as she made her way to the same piece of paper on the wall that he had looked at. “The dog is only $395.”
Hmmmm. That dirty rotten…
Needless to say, I took that puppy home! In the following year I was able to piece together a possible explanation for Tommy’s strange behaviors.
* No doubt he came from a puppy mill and had some genetic problems.
* Even after having the vet pull his unshed baby teeth, he still had problems with his mouth. This would explain why he was so thin.
* At first it seemed he heard nothing, so he was named after a song, “Tommy can you hear me?” Later I determined Tommy’s hearing was fine. He just wasn’t interested in listening.
* He never did stop turning circles. When on a leash, he would walk six feet, spin a circle, walk six feet, spin a circle, on and on. I guessed he had lived his whole short life walking around in a 24-inch by 24-inch cage. In hindsight, his name should have been Counter Clockwise.
* He wasn’t particularly smart and he seemed almost “vacant.” But what he lacked in smarts he made up for in cuteness! He was a very easy dog, more of an ornament than a companion.
Fast forward five years. I came home one day and the other dog met me at the door but Tommy didn’t. This wasn’t unusual since he was so unpredictable. I looked everywhere for him. Then I noticed some odd things. Since it was summer, some of the windows were open and the screens had been cut on a couple of these. It soon became clear that someone had come into the house, in broad daylight, and took Tommy. My wallet was still on the counter but my dog was gone. Even though they left fingerprints there was little hope of finding out who did this.
I did all the usual searches to no avail. Because Tommy was such an odd dog I was half expecting to see him returned to my yard, but I never did see him again. It broke my heart to imagine this special little pup being confused and out of his safe zone. I just hope they were patient with him and all his quirks.
I still miss you Tommy.
Noah’s Hope Animal Rescue (and Thrift Store)
2601 Myrtle St.
Sioux City, IA 51103
712-253-8394
Visit our Facebook page or website for more information:
https://www.facebook.com/NoahsHopeAnimalRescue
www.noahshopeanimalrescue.com
Noah’s Hope Animal Rescue is an all-volunteer, 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation. We rescue the underdogs: the old, the sick and injured, the used-up by breeders, the forsaken and misunderstood. We nurse them, bring them back from the brink, and give them another chance. We believe they make the very best pets because somehow, they understand and are grateful.
About the Author
Noah's Hope -- Lita Shulenberger Lita Shulenberger is a volunteer for Noah’s Hope. She’s fostered 85 dogs in the last 2 years. Quote: “I know that somewhere in the distant past I wanted to be a veterinarian. At the time I would have thought that anyone who lets their life go to the dogs like THIS was crazy. Well, it turns out I AM crazy, and I like it."
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