One cold and snowy winter morning, I recieved a phone call from Trailside Museum, a wildlife rehabilitation center in River Forest, IL. They said that they had found a small dog living in a snow cave in their parking lot. She had a piece of chewed rope dangling from her neck and they thought that someone had tied her in the woods. She had chewed herself free and had dug a cave in the 14 inches of snow that had fallen overnight. They heard her barking to defend her cave when they arrived in the morning.
I drove to Trailside to see her. Her ribs poked through her her thin, ragged coat. She had sarcoptic mange and had scratched her skin raw. I put her in the car and she stared at me with frightened eyes. Her entire body shook when I reached out to pet her. I spoke softly to her during the ride home and by the time we arrived she had snuggled against my hip and fallen asleep.
We named her "Toots" after the little dog in "Lassie Come Home" and she became my constant companion for the next 14 years. In the 30 years that I have been a Veterinary Technician, I have never known a dog who had such a joy for life. She savored every moment. Last year she crossed the Rainbow Bridge but she will always be loved and cherished in our hearts.
Berwyn, IL
