They call her Trixie now. Earlier, around Christmas, my daughter named her Bambi and earlier than that, in late November, she was just called Sweetie down in New Orleans when I first saw her staring at me from behind the bars of a crate lined up in the parking lot of an abandoned beauty salon on Magazine Street.
I was there helping with the pet rescue effort; she was there because she had been picked up in town near Claiborne and Canal. She was beautiful, alert, but not damaged like the other dogs and cats languishing in crates next to her. She showed spunk, had an expensive collar, was spayed and slightly overweight. I sensed that she had been picked up in her neighborhood by mistake. But no one claimed her and one morning she was gone.
We had bonded, Trixie and I. But I learned from others she did not take to strangers easily. Later, as I prepared to leave New Orleans with a transport of dogs, cats and puppies for foster homes provided by PetConnect in Potomac, I remembered the pretty lab-mix who looked at me so longingly. We had room to take her with us.
After a quick search she turned up, still in her crate, at another shelter. She was still waiting. Not wanting to see her disappear into the system — I still believed we could find her family — I took her.
Trixie is still here, waiting. Her family never surfaced. She has been living in various homes, mine for a while, and has been with a trainer for six months. She is healthy, energetic, loving and loyal. But she has her issues. Trixie does not make friends quickly. She needs introductions, some time to get acquainted. If she does not feel comfortable with a stranger, she may growl, but a cookie changes her attitude. She is very food-driven.
Not a pet for a family with young children, this lovely dog needs a home where adults will appreciate her. She needs someone to love and would thrive with hearty walks along the C&O Canal towpath. She bonds quickly, but also needs discipline. She is dog friendly, has been trained extensively and is now ready for a permanent home. But her training has to be reinforced, always.
We are looking for this home for Trixie. She needs a laid-back atmosphere and a savvy owner who can commit to helping this deserving dog.
If that special person happens to read this and see her photo and has the time for a fun, loving, special pet, please call Lizette Chanock at PetConnect Inc. in Potomac. Her telephone number is 301-299-3798. Web site: petconnectinc.org.
— Carole Dell