On a Monday afternoon drive out , about 7 years ago. My sister and our family friend Peter had decided that we would take a drive to the Odivelas dam. (I have posted about the dam). Its about 40 min from my home.
Happily driving along, and talking about what we might have for our lunch that day. My sister said to me.. "Val, slow down, there is a sheep in the road". I slowed down to right where we thought the sheep was either dead or injured in the middle of the road. We all got out of the car. To our surprise, it was a dog very injured and half dead , lying there in the middle of the road.
My sister ran to get my wooly haired jacket.. she scooped the dog up. We rushed back to the car.
I have never driven so fast . Back to the village closest to mine, we just made it to my vet. It was 5 min to 1pm.. closing time.
Dra Ana..put her on the clinic table. She was totally shocked when she saw the dog. No more shocked than we were. I asked her what she thought. Would it be worth working on her or not.
This was the prognosis given by dra Ana. She had shrapnel in her left eye.. it was clearly gone and she was blind. She hardly had any teeth. she had been eating stones and things along the way. Her tail had been cut off. She was full of ticks and fleas.
She was dying.
Dra Ana, said, that she had been very badly treated. had been beaten and was then left to fend for herself.
As dra Ana has been and still is my vet..a jolly good one too. I said to her.. "please ", please just try and give her another day.. do what you can". Don't spare anything.
I left her there, the three of us returning home crying.
Never in all my years had I ever seen a dog in such a tragic state.
We all said a little prayer, and as you can imagine. she was on our minds that whole day.
Dra Ana, phoned me the next morning at 9am.. to say, that she had made it through the night.. What did i want to do. I told her to let her stay another night. She stayed 5 days. On the 5th day I went to collect her. My sister and Peter had returned home.
I had bought her a new bed, that I put at the side of my bed in my bedroom. I did this, so that the other dogs could come slowly one by one to get to smell her and know her. She stayed in my room moving slowly around for well over a year, I took her out three times a day. She ate very little. I gently moved her together with the other pets at the end of that year . It was a very long process.
I had to pick her up to take her outside to do her jobbies.. It was hard to do this, as she cringed at any sort of contact.
The recovery began.
When dra Ana was examining her, and putting the drip in.. she checked for a chip. She has a chip.
Unfortunately your dog, has to be registered with the municipality that you live in. So we were unable to find the owners.. Of course , i would never have given her back.. but a good telling off and more I would have done.
She only started to bark after 2 years. She adapted well to her new family and them to her.
Her name is BONITA.. Pretty. Thats what i called her and always do." you pretty girl."
Very camera shy. Now going blind in her right eye. The family and the vet call her my miracle dog.
She went missing once for 2 days. Came back full of brambles.. she had lost her way.
One of my son's dogs attacked her and ripped her open. (animals know when there is a weak one amongst them)..
She has fallen in the pool.
And she had an infection in her earlobe.. now the ear is just hanging.. no pain.
Bonita.. is a pure bred -thoroughbred - Portuguese Podengo. A National breed.
An ancient multi-sensory hound ,noted for its sight and senses.
Good guard dogs..and excellent companions. Just as Bonita is to me.
She still has some years to go.. but not too many. We think she was about about 5 when we found her.
The Podengo's belong to the breed of Hounds. They hunt in packs.
Even today.. my heart gets full of emotion when i talk to her. I wonder who could have done such awful things to such a loving creature.
She has given me hours of pleasure and loves to run out with her brothers and sisters.
Miracles do happen.
Thanking all my close blogging friends for leaving such wonderful kind New Year comments..
Its back to normal here at "Quintinha dos Rosas"..
Happy weekend. Val
there are 3 catagories.. Small, Medium, and Large. Long haired and smooth coated.
A breed unto themselves.. No interbreeding.
Great companions and guard dogs.. and can live up to 15 to 16 years.
