this morning my friend matt and i took toni to animal care and control in east new york. i’ve had her for three days and am definitely not capable of taking care of her on my own. taking her to “the pound” has always been a last resort, but i have a few good reasons for doing so.

the other day in the park, a dog got in a little tiff with toni and (i think) injured her front right paw. for the last day or so she’d been limping on it and holding it up when she sat. i couldn’t afford to take her to a clinic or vet. i decided to take her to animal control because they can vaccinate her, spay her, and look at her paw, all for free.

i paid a $20 finder’s fee which gives me first dibs on adopting her after the 72 hour legal holding period. i got a little extension on that, so i have to pick her up by 2pm on saturday or she might be taken to a shelter or euthanized.

i’m waiting to hear back from a cop in new jersey who was referred to me by my mother as someone that expressed interest in adopting her. he has a big back yard and lives next to a wooded area with a stream. he’s dog sat a friend of my mom’s dog a lot and has always expressed interest in having his own. he’s supposed to be contacting me today, and if all goes well, on saturday, i’ll pick up toni and transport her to beautiful ridgewood, nj - a huge step up from my tiny apartment.

driving to animal control was nerve wracking. i didn’t know what i would encounter. i imagined a dingy jail-like scenario with warehouses full of pets crammed into tiny cages. but instead i found a kind of pediatrician-like set up with murals and viewing rooms. they scanned toni for a chip and found that she didn’t have one, and assured me that they would take care of her. i’m worried about her being locked up in a cage for a few days, but i’m sure she’ll be fine. and if it means that i can have my space and time to devote myself to finding her a suitable owner, while she receives proper medical attention at minimal cost, then so be it.

my house really feels empty without her. even though she ate one of my shirts and got a little rambunctious at times, she really brought me a lot of joy in the last few days. i guess that’s what dogs are supposed to do. i just feel really fortunate that i was able to share in some of that and help a fellow animal in need.

thank you to all those who wrote, commented and called me with suggestions. i am still accepting adoption requests and suggestions in case this guy in nj doesn’t come through. please do not hesitate to call or email me with any info you have on prospective homes for toni.

of course i’ll keep you up to date on her progress.

best,
chris