Thelma Update

After Thelma, the fifty-two pound, six-month-old black lab mutt that showed up during fundraising week, gained access to the Farnival’s fenced perimeter, I held onto the hope that I could keep her downstairs in the basement.

After a day or two Thelma started getting curious and poking her head through the doggie door into the kitchen to watch us, drooling, whining once in a while, but mostly happy to be witnessing the pack activity. As soon as I would chide her, she’d duck back through the plastic flap, trot down the stairs with her heavy, large-pawed tread, and wait on the futon for either Meadow or Rosie to visit. She’s a timid and giant beast that tries to keep up with Meadow’s graceful run, but her bulk makes it impossible. If Thelma could play football, she’d be a linebacker.

I totally blame my friend Nancy and her daughter Charlote for the pivotal moment when Thelma became the ninth dog living in our fifteen hundred square-foot house.

Last week, Nancy, Charlotte, and I had a girl’s night – three women, ages seventeen to fifty-five, crawled up together in a king -size mattress with nine pillows, one cat, and five dogs, wearing pajamas, watching Carrie, the recent version, and the Goonies, the only version, after pigging out on Lo mein and McDonald’s.

When Charlotte, that seventeen-year-old idealist and this website’s creator, witnessed me chiding Thelma for trying to join the party, she said, obviously dismayed: “She’s not allowed upstairs?”

My resolve completely disintegrated. I was so afraid of disappointing her that I answered, “Sure, why not?”

What’s one more in a pack of eight dogs and three cats? Like Mason says, “after five you don’t even notice.” The good news: Because we raised more than DOUBLE our goal in last week fundraiser, (thanks to all you freaks :)) Thelma was vetted and spayed.

Currently, by choice, Thelma lives part-time in the basement and part-time in the house. As soon as Rosie or Jim Bob gets adopted, we’ll start socializing her, but as of right now, she doesn’t even know how to get into a car and she hates a leash.