“Lost Pennies will bring
you luck” said my late 89-year-old mother, as she bent down to reach for
her Penny.
I do not know how many Pennies she acquired over the years
but there were more than I can remember. There were little Pennies
and big Pennies: Pennies from all over the world. If a Penny
was lost, she could find it. She always had good luck.
How many Pennies have you found, and then saying it has
no worth, no comfort, and no gain. You just walked on. Now that is
bad luck.
Diane and I were driving back from Christiansburg to Floyd
and lo and behold! There smack in the middle of the road was a Penny.
This Penny was coming towards us, short halting steps,
lost, and appeared very ill.
“Stop the car,” I screeched. I jumped out and picked up
the little tired, elderly sick dog, a mix of beagle and something.
Penny had an old collar, and an old license. Surely I could find
this Penny’s home.
Finding homes for lost Pennies is not always easy.
First many people just dump their pets along a roadway wishing at best
that it is taken care of by a Penny watcher. Many elderly people
who pass on, or otherwise carried off to the “No Pets Allowed” nursing
homes are further traumatized by loss of their loved companion who is usually
left to wander about looking for the Human companion of many years till
death under the wheels of a car, or lonely and forgotten under a house,
covered in ticks, starving and afraid dies a sad lonely death.
Probably a bigger problem is the college student, usually
1st year students are given dog and cats by well wishing parents to keep
them company in this time of separation. Alas, once the school year
is over, the Animal Control works overtime with dumped dogs and other cast
off “pets.”
Millions, yes millions, of unwanted Pennies are killed
each year by Animal Control. I do not use the term: euthanasia- it is still
death, and unpleasant.
Our little Penny covered with ticks, sick and shaking,
trudged towards me. I gingerly stepped in the road and picked up
the little waif. We did drive around a bit and asked neighbors if
they knew the dog. Alas, no one knew the little dog, but one person
had seen the dog and was going to call Animal Control the week before,
but had forgot.
It was too late to take Penny to the Vet that late day,
so we took her home planning on the Veterinarian the next morning.
Penny cuddled in my arms for the next ten miles, Once
home she spotted the little oval dog bed in the utility room, crawled in,
and curled up, stiff with age and exhausted from searching.
Penny whimpered once that night, looked up at me with
her sad brown eyes, a thousand years of human and dog bonding passed between
us, then she died.
Sad as this was she did not die alone and unwanted.
She did have food and water, ear rubs and a peaceful passing. She
was loved.
We did find the owners. They had posted a big picture
of the lost dog, and were amazed that she was so far from home. We
buried the little dog in our Penny Pet Cemetery.
These were good people. Their dog did not wander.
I suspect it was picked up for meanness and dumped. Other dogs are
often stolen and sold for “research.” The latest horror is dogs that
are stolen, or “adopted,” to be used as bait dogs in Pit Bull Training
Rings at illegal dogfights. Well-intended dog owners who advertise
to find loving homes, sometimes desperate to place their pets, are often
deceived by evildoers calling them with sweet words on the telephone.
Perhaps Penny can best be described by these words:
“What we once enjoyed and deeply loved we can never lose,
for all that we love deeply becomes part of us.”
Helen Keller
Do you stop and pick up a Penny? I do, and my luck
continues.
Mark Steel,
© 7/2004
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