October 17th

It is now 10 days since I made my exclamation to my friend. I am going about my life. Working, coming home, seeing my boyfriend.
What else is there?
The door bell rings. I look out.
It's Elise!
I answer the door.

"Are you still interested?"

"What do you mean?"

"They came knocking on my door, asking me to help find someone for the dog. So here I am."

I was so excited I almost peed myself.

They brought him over on a cheap choke chain. I sat on the stoop to greet him. He sat directly between my legs as if he belonged there.

He was filthy. His hair was a mess. The hair on his feet was 3 inches past his paws. He was matted and flea ridden. But he was mine.

I didn't want to do anything to him until we brought him to the vet. I wanted them to see what a shambles this poor little boy was in.

He was slipping and sliding all over the floor!

I wanted to call in sick to work the next day to be with him. I just felt such a strong connection with this dog! Like I knew him in another life, if that makes any sense.

But I went to work, and I spent half the day making phone calls trying to find a vet, a groomer, anything ASAP.

I took him to the NSALA clinic because it was inexpensive.
They couldn't believe how cooperative he was.

He had an ulcerated ear infection in one ear, a good old regular ear infection in the other. He wasn't fixed, and he quite obviously came from a puppy mill. The did a poor job clipping his dew claws, and docking his tail leaving scars.

They gave him all of his shots, and told me he was all clear to get groomed.

Finding a groomer who will do a cocker is one hell of a job.

Most of them don't want to be bothered and so many have had negative experiences.

I finally found one who could take him, and take him we did.

He got bathed brushed, clipped and cleaned.

YAY! He can sleep with me now!

Which he did, (and does, much to the chagrin of my hubby).

Now onto the naming.

They were Korean, which I know I told you. So the dog OBVIOUSLY had a Korean name. Which I couldn't quite pronounce. Oo-ti-de or something. I asked what it meant, it means "all of us".

We watched him, and though BooBoo since he had them, freckles, he has those too.

I settled on Odie. It was in keeping with the sound of his old name, but Americanized.

Now, onto the neutering!