One of the breeding females disappeared. That left two who went into heat. A few days before Christmas, both of them gave birth. A total of nine puppies, bringing the count up to 21 dogs. Christmas Eve night my car got stuck. GM’s little Escort had been buried under five feet of snow. We had to walk out across the train trestle. Then followed two months of walking in every day or every other day to feed and water our own animals. We had to take supplies across the trestle on sleds. The trestle is posted no trespassing. It is a train bridge about 200 feet over the river. There are sidewalks on either side and cables as a guard rail. Not a place you want your kids walking across. A couple of times we had M’s husband G load up the 200 lbs of dog food S would send out to F along with his own food once a month and drive in to the bottom of the hill. I knew F was probably only feeding every other day. We hadn’t been hauling his water in so he was either melting snow or letting the dogs go without. I would bet on the latter. Whenever we could stay out here most of the younger dogs of S’s would show up at my house at feeding time, ribs and backbones sticking out, bellies distended. I would throw out an extra scoop of food out of pity but we couldn’t afford to feed all her dogs too!
In April the roads were passable enough we were finally able to make it home. There was dog shit everywhere. I could tell F had made regular trips to our woodshed because of the dog shit spotted trail to and from his place to ours. Soon enough GM was out not only getting our wood, but F’s as well. F had broken S’s new chainsaw in about ten minutes after he came down to get it from me one day.
One day in March F came down to our house on one of his more social days and I mentioned finding homes for the one year old dogs that hung around my house all the time as well as the two litters of puppies. Talked a bit to him about getting the females fixed.
“You wanna find homes for dogs you oughta find homes for them three on the hill. ’Cause they’re gonna all die.” He told me.
“You can have all them damned puppies! You can find homes for them.”
“Sure! I can sit at Wal-mart with them and find them all homes!” I lied.
When in Rome and all.
The day finally came that I would take the puppies. Seven were still alive. Before I brought my pet carrier up I wanted to check on those dogs on the hill. I dreaded what I would see because the winter had been long and the snow very deep. I knew if F had a choice of staying by the fire or trudging in thigh deep snow up to those dogs to care for them the fire would win out every time. Butterfly came with me.
When I saw the condition of the dogs, especially the one who was so shy and nervous about people I wanted to kick F, that crazy old fucker, in the nuts so hard he would be coughing pubic hairballs.
Two of the dogs, Buddy and Tubby were in so-so condition, but this one, the one they called Bashful even though he didn’t even really know his name, was so weak and emaciated he could barely stand. He was a rack of bones and when I came over to speak to him he crouched in that cowering, please don’t kick me way that made me want to bawl in fury. This man should never be allowed to care for animals and that woman should not be allowed to keep so much as a fucking goldfish!
Butterfly, sweet, sensitive ten year old she is, was horrified.
“That motherfucker!” I said, “This dog is going too. I don’t give a shit what he says.” I told Butterfly, whom I hope never learns to swear like her mother.
F didn’t want me to take the sickly puppies. He was nervous. I insisted. Told him I was taking the big dog and one of the old breeder bitches, Cindy Lou too. That I had a friend who could take him and they would spay Cindy for free, which they did. We loaded the puppies in their carrier in the back and got the big dog too. F was having a bit of a conniption. He knew what people would think upon seeing those dogs and he was scared. When they had fist come out the neighbor down the hill had turned them in before he sold his place and the warden’s had come out, told them to pen them up and said S needed to get a kennel license. She never did. Gave some sob story about the check coming back in the mail. Who knows if that was true.
GM was in the house and Bird was with me and F standing by the truck. F was working himself up into quite a state about these dogs condition and the fact I was taking them where people would see.
“Nobody better come up here! Them animal wardens show up and there’ll be mass murder!” he threatened, pointing a finger at me, Bird, my house. “I’ll kill everything on this place! Burn it all to the ground!”
“Yeah, sure F, I suppose you could, then answer to the law for it.” I replied. I was remaining amazingly calm seeing as how this nutty fuck had just threatened to kill me and my family. He had done it the year before as well when some of the dogs ran off. Accused me of shooting them all. That was before I ever stole one. I had it with his shit.
“No one is going to come up here. They’ll think they’re my fucking dogs so quit fucking worrying about it.”
Yes, I say fuck a lot even when I am not angry.
I don’t think the old bastard has a weapon to his name that hasn’t rusted solid but he has a steel plate in his head and a Vietnam background. I was half in shock from the threat. F pretty much has the personality of a complete asshole with little pieces of civility. But he isn’t right in the head and old age isn’t making him any better. One crisis at a time was all I could deal with at that moment. I just wanted to get off the mountain with these dogs. I would deal with the other shit later.
I brought the puppies and the big dog in. Tanya let me vaccinate Bashful myself, he was so worried. But that dog had learned the commands ‘stay’ and ‘come’ between my house and the county animal shelter 60 miles away. He was smart. He and the other chained ones, his brothers were basset coyote crosses. Less inbreeding and more wit about them. The dog was very antisocial but he wanted to please me. Worried I would kick him no doubt. He had a damaged eye, the bone around it was slightly misshapen and it was milked over with a cataract. My guess was that F had got him good there either with a kick or a stick and probably damaged that eye at one time.
Tanya and I took the puppies in the back and bathed them. Their little bellies were distended and I hosed six inch long worms out of the pet carrier along with their feces and vomit. A couple of the pups were in pretty bad shape. I didn’t know how bad until a couple days later.
Three more dogs had been down wandering by the tracks that day. I had spoken to S and asked her how many she wanted and she told me her four old ones. So I nabbed those three dogs, under GM’s disapproving eye and brought them in to the shelter. Kristine came in as I waited at the front counter.
“Did Tanya tell you about those puppies?” she asked. I could tell something was wrong.
“No, what?”
“ They’re all dead! I had to euthanize them all this morning. They all tested positive for parvo.”
I gasped. She had more to tell me.
“I want every fucking dog off that place. The vet is writing an official complaint to the animal wardens and there very well may be criminal charges pending. I want you to sign a complaint so we can throw this guy in jail.”
Well, shit.
I knew that if the Sheriff nailed F for animal cruelty charges he would turn around and point the finger at S who was just as liable. If she got thrown in jail I don’t know if GM would forgive me. And if they decided to fine her thousands of dollars, that could very well mean us losing our home since he only thing of real value she owned was half of our property.
Yes F was a cruel neglectful bastard. But he was also oddly concerned about the dogs in his own messed up way. Also, he could only feed
them as much food as S brought out to him if and when she felt like it.
That was a really hard spot to be in. Plus, he had threatened our lives. I had to take this very seriously. I honestly don’t know what this man is capable of. If the animal wardens came out to cite him I would need a Sheriff’s officer out there to arrest him because I would have no choice but to get a restraining order on him.
Kristine and I talked. She told me that as long as they couldn’t have anymore puppies she really didn’t care. The shelter was reaching full capacity. It was spring, people were dumping their pets left and right.
A day or so later I went to get the other two dogs that were always chained. F had a major fly apart at me, told me he had never hit a woman but he was thinking he might, coming at me shaking his fist. I had taken those dogs without asking him and how dare I , blah, blah, blah.
I thought, yeah. Hit me motherfucker. It better be a good one cause that’s the only one you’ll ever get I’ll have your ass hauled out of here so fast…!
I told him Sharon only wanted four dogs. I told him I would probably have to bring Lady back if he would ever catch her. He ranted and threatened and bitched. S was out of state, down in Texas visiting N, Elmo and the kids. I wanted this done by the time she got back.
I cannot honestly say I didn’t do this with an edge of vindictive satisfaction. Take away the power base and what would she have? If all the dogs were gone, what reason would F have to stay out there? He is an unwanted burden on us. If we get wood, we have to get him wood because he broke her saw the first time he used it. If we don’t get his wood he comes and steals ours from our woodshed. It’s that or freeze.
He depends on us now to ferry his grocery list into S and we have to bring him his food. When summer comes, he will be wanting us to haul his water. He does help a bit with the wood and stuff for himself, but never just helps us to help us out. We have a family to take care of. If S lives out there then we will have two more houses to have to provide wood for. F has no income, not even VA benefits which he would be eligible for. He is just another abandoned dog for S to neglect. On his saner days I think he knows this.
I believe that he would be better off getting out from under S’s thumb. I called the local VA and had them send me paperwork for him to begin benefits. I haven’t given it to him yet. Don’t know how to approach him with it really. But I had to deal with those dogs.
I managed to get it down to seven dogs. The problem is, while two of the females were fixed, one wasn’t and the rest were males. Her spring heat cycle would be soon.
I finally let on to GM that I was working with the local animal shelter and through them a basset rescue group in Missoula. GM was freaking out about it because five years ago the judge had told his mom she couldn’t just dump her animals at the shelter. I explained that it was under new direction, etc. but he was still freaking out that his mom would end up in jail.
I had spoken to the animal warden. I explained the possible danger my family could be put in if the chose to act without making sure F couldn’t com e back to the place. I know the warden was exasperated with me but this was the same guy who had done NOTHING the previous fall when I did report it and gave him the pictures with the emaciated dogs.
“Look.” I told him, “I am taking care of the problem and my mother-in-law agreed to cooperate. She only wants four dogs. I think that is manageable. I will also be living out there to see something like this never happens again.”
He sighed again and I could hear him tapping his fingers.
“All right. I’ll talk to the Sergeant and get back to you.”
I felt like I had bought some time anyway.
But my plans hit a snag. The last intact female, Lady, was a complete freak of a dog who would not let anyone touch her. F kept telling me he would bring her down then he would never catch her. I knew what he was doing. Hoping I would just go away.
Remember that badger part of my personality I have written of before? Yeah. Fat chance asshole.
After S got back I asked GM to have her get out and either catch Lady herself or catch all those males so the only thing that could knock Lady up would be the wolves and coyotes. S came out and spent a lot of time up with F. He went off first thing about how I just came and took those three dogs without telling him. She ended up telling him to catch that damned dog. I also decided to take Lady’s son, Junior in because he had started living at my house and while he was a nice enough dog I didn’t want him. He was inbred and very stupid. Had all the personality and brains of a mashed turnip. I wanted them gone. Didn’t know if Kristine would take them because Lady was so poorly socialized. Not very adoptable.
GM came down and told me that S had told F he could keep not four but SEVEN dogs!! This from the woman who had told me the previous week if her surgery wouldn’t allow her to go back to work she wouldn’t be able to afford to feed all those dogs! What the hell? I thought.
Junior was no problem for me to catch. I had given F one of the choke leashes I’d gotten from the pound. Butterfly got to witness him dragging Lady down the hill on her back, strangling because the son of a bitch was too lazy to bend over, pick her up and carry her. Said he ‘had’ to drag her because she wouldn’t lead. I was furious. No wonder the poor animal was such a wreck!
I had GM go with me to the pound this time. Introduced him to Kristine. Showed him the little healer Jack Russell cross that had been turned in.
I made a point of telling Kristine how F had brought Lady to me. She had not been having a good day. I then told her that now S was saying she would let F keep seven dogs instead of four. Kristine lost it.
“What? NO! First four now seven? What the fuck is this? She is a horder! No! I am sorry J, but there is no fucking way in hell I am letting those dogs go back there. In fact, I would hold a fucking gun to F’s head and tell you there is no fucking way in hell those dogs are going back there! I hope you don’t have a problem with it, and well, too bad if you did, but no. Those dogs will not go back there.”
I love this woman.
“I was so hoping you would say that after I told you! I have no problem with you keeping them at all! I want you to! I don’t want them to go back there either!”
I told GM about Kristine’s decision not to let us take the dogs back. He just didn’t seem to get the seriousness of this situation. How could he? Hording and neglect were family values where he comes from. He made the comment that he would just have to bring his Mom back to the shelter so she could “have a little talk with them about getting her dogs back.” I was blown away. He really doesn’t get it.
I finally had to have a very serious talk with my husband. GM was still of the opinion that there would be no “problem” if I had left well enough alone.
“Leaving things alone is what caused this problem in the first place! I don’t know if you realize it or not but I am laying MY ass on the line and bending over backwards here trying to keep people from getting in trouble when they really should be! Your mom has been in trouble with the county for this before! She chose to do nothing about it and let it continue! She was well aware of the consequences! I gave her the numbers of the Spay and Neuter task force and she refused to deal with it! We even offered to do all the work of transporting the animals there and back and split the costs! You have said yourself that your Mom leaves her shit for you to deal with. Well these dogs, and even F and all his crazy bullshit, are the shit your Mom has left for us to deal with. I am choosing to deal with it! People may not like how I am choosing to deal with it and they‘re welcome to their opinions. That’s what they get for leaving their crap for other people to deal with! When you abandon your shit for other people to clean up you lose your rights to have any say in the matter! I am going to tell you something GM. I love you. What your family has done in regards to neglecting both children and animals is WRONG! It goes against every fiber of my being, against EVERYTING I was taught growing up. I love you very much.”
Then I told him one of the hardest things in our entire relationship.
“I love you very much, however, I will no longer support your family in neglect. That means I will not stand by and watch these animals be neglected, starved and abused and that means that if your sister ever comes up here with her children and does the same shit I have seen her do for years I will call child protective services immediately. And I don’t care if it is her or Elmo or your mom doing it. I have bent over backwards to see that your mom doesn’t get her ass thrown in jail while I take care of this dog problem, and I will only do it once! She obviously doesn’t want these animals. She is a hording. If she brings any more animals up here that are not fixed I will go to the Sherriff’s office and sign a complaint. I WILL NOT support this family in neglect EVER AGAIN! And the next time F threatens me or my children I am having his ass hauled off our mountain and a restraining order slapped on him so he can‘t come back. I am fucking DONE with the bullshit!”
GM was angry but he didn’t say a whole lot. Part of him knows there is truth in what I say even if he doesn’t like it.
In the end, S is still living in town and F is still on the mountain. He is caring for five dogs. Two spayed females and one unaltered male. My white dog, Fen stays up there with F and the pack mostly except t feeding time. He was another pound rescue of mine and he is very skittish. I suspect wolf ancestry.
I had fallen in love with the little Jack Russell healer cross. Kristine let me adopt him on the condition that I also adopt Bashful, one of the three dogs that were chained the entire 8 years of their lives. He was so scruffy looking Kristine didn’t feel he was adoptable. He never wagged his tail. I took him as well. He is a big, doofy, mild mannered dog who listens very well and wants most to please. He still cowers some and he splits his time between our house and F’s up on the hill.
He will never have to be chained again. I have fattened him up and wormed him and he is looking good. Bird gave him a new name. He named him ‘Firecracker’ which is akin to naming the bald guy ‘Curly’. This dog loves to be loved and has finally learned to wag his tail.
I don’t know why he spends time up on the hill with F. As crazy and abusive as he is the dogs still seem to hold a peculiar loyalty to him. Maybe they forgive him his mental illness. IN part I also suspect F has tried hard to make up to the animal, as he did my dog, so he’ll stay up there with him. I can only guess at his reasoning. They do seem to be the only creatures that can deal with him for any length of time.
F must have been having one of his more stable days when he came down and inquired as to if I would be bringing Lady and Junior back.
“No. They refuse to let them come back. Kristine wanted to know why Lady was all muddy and when I told her how she got that way she informed me they won’t be releasing the dogs.”
“Well didja tell her she don’t lead?” he asked.
“Yes. But it doesn’t matter. They consider that abuse.”
“Do they now?” he said musingly. As if I had just commented on the weather.
I looked at him, far past being shocked by anything that comes out of his mouth.
“Yeah, F. They do.”
