Yes, That's My Dog

I have a 5 month old puppy named Nala.  Well, right now I don't but I'll get to that part.  And you know how sometimes people look like their dogs?  This isn't one of those times.  It IS, however, one of those times when people and their dogs do seem to share a personality.  Nala is distinctly MY dog.

This is Nala... and the Queen.

Let me tell you a little bit about Nala.  Nala is a rescue dog.  I got her when I was out of town with the girls and MPH (My Poor Husband).  We were about 3 and a half hours away from home when the girls and I stumbled upon an adoption fair.  Now, I'm sort hearted. I admit it, but I'd managed never to actually pick up any of the animals available for adoption at this sort of fair.  On that day, however, probably because MPH was sitting somewhere in a meeting while I ran higgledy piggledy through a strange city, I couldn't resist.  I asked for and was given this sleepy puppy who looked like a German shepherd even though she was a mutt, and she woke up and promptly claimed me as her own.  She wiggled and licked and was just generally overjoyed to make my acquaintance!  I've never met such a happy puppy!  As she was going just happy assed insane in my arms, the nice woman there was explaining that her mother was a shar pei/Bernese mountain dog mix and that Dad was unknown, or as we like to refer to him... full blooded sneaky dog!  She didn't speak for long though. I don't think anyone present doubted that Nala had found her new home.  Okay, MPH might not have known but I'll get to that.

The girls and I adopted Nala and brought her back to the convention area where we were staying for another night... and where dogs weren't allowed, I might add.  I really have never been all that good with rules.  It turns out that a friend was with me when we found Nala. Her husband was also in the meeting and apparently she texted him a picture of me with the puppy.  After I got back to our suite with Nala and had her out on the porch where the girls were playing with her and feeding her, I suddenly got a text on my phone.  "Do not come back with a dog."  You know, I did think for a while about how I could POSSIBLY answer that.  I waited a bit.  Finally I just shrugged and replied "Too late!"  MPH knows me well enough to know that I'm a bit like a force of nature sometimes... unstoppable and potentially destructive.  He got lucky. All I did this time was bring home a puppy.  He might not have been too pleased, but at least he survived!

Nala and my youngest, the day we got her.

So we braved a 3.5 hour drive home with our newest family member, and she remained a complete joy.  Okay, she was a spaz but she made our 11 year old German shepherd run around and play with her like she was 6 years younger.  She played with the girls.  She played with me, and she even played with a few imaginary friends from what I could tell.  In general she was wonderful!  Alright, to be fair to MPH, she was a chewer.  She did eat part of the patio furniture... and she ate her way through my internet cable (that's what it turned out to be when the internet died last week... oops), and she had a little accident with the car when she decided to sleep under it, but she was okay in a few days!  And I love this dog!  She makes me smile.  That dog's tail doesn't wag.  It's her whole back end that wags!

Fast forward to Saturday, and Nala disappeared.  I was devastated, and I searched high and low for her without any luck.  She's still missing and we're still searching, but at least I did find out where she was for part of the time.  And I do have to say that even while missing, that dog is definitely mine.  It turns out there was a 5k run that went past my house  on Saturday that I didn't know about.  She was in the fenced in backyard, but could see it from there, and it was apparently more than her happy little puppy heart could handle.  She just HAD to go join!  I can just imagine it now.

Nala:  Look at the people!
Nala:  Look at them running!
Nala:  Look at them all!
Nala:  Look! There's a dog running with them!
(Yes, I'm pretty sure Nala talks to herself.  I do.)

And then her little mind exploded.  She found a way out of the fence and took off after them, leaving my older dog trapped and watching helplessly.  But Nala was out and running with everyone else.  Part of the reason I know this is because there are pictures of her on my town paper's website!  They took pictures of the runners about a mile and a half from my home and in every shot, there's Nala!  She's weaving in and out of the runners.  First she's on the left and then she's on the right, but she's always right there, and she looks so happy!!! She was having a ball!!

At the end of the race, however, people figured out she didn't belong to any runner but she very obviously belonged to someone.  They saw that she was well cared for, wearing a collar, and they knew she was a beloved pet.  When they couldn't figure out where she belonged (my whole family was away at a wedding when this happened), the police officer on the scene took her and placed her into the kennel at the police department until he could get her to the animal shelter and try to figure out where she came from.  (Her collar didn't have her ID on it.  That was on a separate collar that had given her a rash so I removed it.)  Well.... here's how it went down next.  The officer had to take a call for work and left her at the station.  When he returned, Nala had escaped the kennel.  There was a small opening, and she was able to squeeze through.  So she was off again and that's where we lost her trail.

We've been searching all over for her.  The police are looking.  There are signs at the animal shelter and vet offices.  Everyone has been so supportive and wonderful, and that has helped at least mentally.  I've had a really hard time with this because I love her, but I'm still hopeful that we'll get her back.  The lost dog ad came out in the paper today.  But despite all of this, Nala still makes me laugh and smile.  Mostly, it's because of how much people have pointed out that she's exactly like me.  I got a note from my sister after she saw the pictures of the run.  And she had a point.

Duchess of All Things Good:  You know, the way she's nonchalantly sashaying through that crowd of runners, it looks just like something YOU would do!

And I have to admit she's right.  Then there's the fact that my puppy was in actual police custody on Saturday!.... but she escaped!  I'm distraught and proud at the same time!  Go Nala, Go!.... okay, come HOME, Nala, come HOME!!!

Anyway, I'm heading out of the country tomorrow, but I have family here who are staying at the house and still searching.  If you see my puppy, let me know.  Since she's mine, she may have hopped a flight to a tropical or exotic location by now.  Frankly, I put nothing past her!

By the way, I leave to fly to China for a week and then Korea, tomorrow.  And we all know what that means... International Incident!!!... no wait, that's not right.  Queenly road trip!!!!  I plan to be updating all of you, dear readers and loyal subjects, to all the excitement that is the Queen in a land where she doesn't speak the language and has only a vague understanding of the culture.  Let's face it, the likelihood of random chaos is HIGH!  I'm not sure about the internet availability there, but here's hoping!  If I disappear, I'm sure I'll pop back up once I get to Korea.  And if I just get lost, someone send help and probably bail money to the white woman wearing the tiara in communist China who the locals have decided unanimously is insane.  Yeah, that would be me.  Here's hoping!!!