You probly remember, back a few months ago, when a buncha pooches got rescued from South Kor-EE-uh, which is wa-ay around on The Other Side, and got brought to the Humane Society.
This week I interviewed one of ’em, Sandy Brost, whose story gave me the Utter Willies at first, but, Thank Lassie, it has a happy ending. Sandy’s a pretty yellowy-creamy color, nice pink sniffer, looks sorta like a Lab, ’specially in the face, but smaller body. She lives with her new pooch big brother, Harry; two cats, Bella an Bently; an her new Mom an Dad, Kelley an Greg.
Sandy an Harry were both barkin’ when me an my assistant knocked, but, since Sandy was still kinda nervous an figurin’ stuff out, Harry did the intros. He’s a rescue, too, about the same size as Sandy, only with dark fur. An he’s from TaiWAN, which is also around on The Other Side. (The cats were Elsewhere, as cats often are, in my experience.)
“I’m pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Sandy,” I said politely. “I’d like to hear all about you, whatever you’d like to share, an I’ll just write it down right here in my notebook, OK?”
Sandy smiled timidly. “Man-na-seo ban-ga-wo-yo. Is nize to meeting you. My Eng-leash is slow.”
“No worries, Miss Sandy. My writing’s pretty slow, too.”
“I think I first must explaining a big something different from here, in Korea. It is, as humans here calling – cultural.”
I was all ears.
“Here many humans eat cow, chiggan, pig. Is not bad thing. So, in Korea, many humans eat dog. Is called Gaegogi. Is not bad thing there. But bad for dog, of course.”
“Woof,” I gulped. “That is Dismal Dog Biscuits.”
“Now, with help from Innernational Humane Society humans,” Sandy continued, “many in Korea try to change law so no more dog for lunch. But also must find new job for humans who work in dog farms. Happy news for me and friends in dog farm – we get rescue an bring to here. So we getting ready to be pets, not lunch.”
“How’re things going for you so far, Miss Sandy?”
“We were not in so good shape. Much skinny. I had CAT-uh-racks, also. Hadda have operation. Still get drops in my eyes each day, an now I see much more better. Lizards are funny looking. I never know that before.
“When first arrive, I not do well in shelter, so put in foster home with very nice human lady. Meanwhile, my Forever O-mo-nee …”
“That’s Korean for ‘Mom,’” Harry said.
“She volunteer at Humane Society,” Sandy explained. “She an my Ah-bo-jee …”
“Dad,” said Harry.
“They came see me. I could tell they good. I go right up to them, got all comftubble an happy for first time. So they keep me. I didn’t know about playing, or chasing lizards, or what a toy is, or tummy rubs. Harry says I was jumpy.”
“She was REAL jumpy,” Harry confirmed. “But we got stuff figured out between us pretty quick. I taught her how to be a member-of-the-family pooch. How to play an do Dog Stuff. And that nobody’s gonna take her food or toys away. And to NOTchew chairs.”
“I not ever see toy before. Now have my own basket full. They make liddle sounds Harry calls ‘squeaks.’ Also, since my eyes now work good, I discover whole new world full of lizards!”
“She does great in the car, too,” Harry said with pride. “When that hurrycane, Irma, was comin’, we drove all the way up to South Carolina in our Ultima. The humans there were very pet frenly. We stayed in a nice motel, then drove all the way home, and we both did great, the whole way. We didn’t whine or toss our dog biscuits an we always waited for Pit Stops to Do Our Doodie.”
“An,” said Sandy, also sounding proud, “I helping pick up branches all over the yard from that, that – I forgot …”
“Hurrycane,” said Harry.
“Hurrycane. Branches are crisp an fun for crunching, I find. I’m still very much jumpy. Also barky. I barking at bicycles, cars, humans, ’specially the human who brings bits of paper Harry calls ‘mail’; also the dishwasher an the scary, loud thing that makes cool.
“I’m learning to call O-mo-nee an Ah-bo-jee Mommy an Daddy, like Harry doing. They teaching to me about good behavior, how to sit calm an still for my eye-drops – and giving me treats for eating when I remember what they teaching to me. Harry calls treats Positive Re-enforcement an calls O-mo-nee an Ah-bo-jee ‘Treatmasters.’”
“I learning most from Harry. We run in back yard together for playing. When I sleepy, I wanting snuggle very closely to him an he lets me. He is good big brother. Did you know, Mr. Bonz, that when Harry coming to Cali-FOR-nya from TaiWAN, he was needing to have Immigration Papers? An they were ALL in Chinese. He have them still. He showing them to me once.”
“That is Super Cool Kibbles!” I said to Harry.
“I suppose so,” he replied. “I was a liddle pupster an don’t remember much about that time. I’m just happy to have a great Forever Family now. I even enjoy being Sandy’s big brother, but don’t tell her that.” He winked.
Heading home, I was thinking about Sandy an her happily blended Forever Family. An about how many different combinations of Happily Blended Families there are. An how lucky we are to know that, when we get home, there’ll always be a nice bowl of kibbles, an a fluffy bed – an a tummy rub.
Till next time,
The Bonz
