Pippi's Ears

First, I need to point out Miss Pippi’s ears. Aren’t they extraordinary? They are as big as her entire head and snout put together.

Miss Pippi, a six-month-old thirty-five pound mutt, is the newest Farnival foster dog. She came with a name, but no history. Someone in Donna’s church found her on the roadside. Like Tori, she’s been in our program for a few months without a single inquiry.

Donna, ICHBA’s founder, asked me if I’d be willing to socialize Pippi, who is a timid little thing and would be hard to re-home, even if anybody wanted her. My sister-friends, Nancy and Charlotte, are starting to tease that the Farnival has become an “alternative school” for dogs. But I don’t mind. I like to work with the troubled cases. It suits me, particularly now.

Last night, Pippi rode with Donna when she picked me up to take Silvio to his new digs at the Fort Campbell Military Base. In other words, I left with one dog and came home with another. I haven’t been able to learn much about Pippi. She’s incredibly shy and not very warm to either people or animals. In fact, she spent most of the morning crying at the gate, wanting nothing more than for me to open it so she could bolt – to where I have no idea, and neither does she. She has nowhere to go except where she doesn’t want to be.

Right now, all of us, cats and dogs and even Meadow, are giving Pippi her space. We are going to patiently wait until she’s ready to come to us.