Dogs

One of the dogs Izzy plays with is Nathan.
Nathan is part Labrador Retreiver and something that jumps like a mexican jumping bean.
Seriously she is part lab and part whippet.
She looks like this photo of a lab/whippet mix I found online.

Nathan's face is all Lab.
Her body is more like a whippet.

Nathan lives 14 doors away and if he has been outside Izzy's nose knows.
She walks out our front door and her nose goes in the air and she starts sniffing and her tail is wagging like crazy and off we go.
She goes straight up to Nathan's door and looks in the sidelights to find him.
They play a couple nights a week and both sets of owners love it because it wears them out.

Yesterday as Rick was walking Izzy after work he ran into Nathan's owner getting out of his car. Rick said, "If you're not too busy want to grab Nathan and head down to the big park with Izzy and I for some fetch?" Nathan's owner welled up with tears and Rick thought, Oh God something happened to the dog.

Nathan's owner said, "We just brought Nathan back to the rescue where we got him yesterday"
Rick said he was in total shock and wanted to scream at him, WHY?
Nathan's owner went on that his hours changed at work and so did his wife's hours and they didn't want to leave him alone all that time.
He was now full on crying and said, "Rick I just can't talk right now" and went inside his house.

When Rick came home and told me this story I was shocked and pissed. Who does this?
They got the dog over 1 1/2 years ago. I am thinking may be closer to 2 yrs now.
Poor Nathan is dropped off and now wondering if his human parents are coming back to get him.
I don't think for a second this was work related.
Besides he was home getting out of his car the same time.
I saw him leave for work the morning before at the same time when I was walking Iz.
The wife is an accountant. It's not tax time and besides they had Nathan last year at tax time. Something was fishy with this story. Here is what I believed really happened.

Nathan's owner loves dogs. He really wanted a labrador. When we got Izzy he fell in love with her. He always would stop and kneel down when he saw her to play and pet her.
He offered to pet sit etc. He was over the moon for Iz.
He told us his wife was afraid of dogs and really didn't like them but he so wanted another dog.  (he had one in his first marriage)
One day when Izzy and I were outside at the small park area across the street from their house he asked if he and his wife could come over and have his wife meet Izzy.

I had Izzy sit and his wife came over and timidly pet her.
Slowly but surely she actually would play with Izzy over time.
When we first saw her she would get off the sidewalk and a few months later she is coming towards us and she is hugging Izzy.  Nathan's human dad thanked Rick and I one day with helping his wife actually make a complete turn around and enjoy Izzy.

But like a proud mom I have to say that Izzy isn't a hyper dog.
We had nothing to do with this. She is this way by nature.
Izzy has never jumped on anyone.
Izzy is mellow and different. So when he told us he convinced her that getting a dog like Izzy would be fun I cringed a bit.

Every time we saw Nathan and his owner she had nothing to do with the dog.
One afternoon she and I were at the park area together. She couldn't control the dog.
Nathan is a jumpy hyper thing and she was being so mean to him.  That wasn't helping the situation. She wasn't able to work with his nature. She asked me how we get Izzy not to do this.
I said it wasn't so much us as it just is part dog and who she is plus the training.  

Her cell rang a bit later and I took the dogs and let them both off lease to run. 
Her dog needs to run!  It's like part kangaroo and part race horse. Wild energy.
These two wore themselves out and between the 2 of them I had 1 retreiver.
I throw the stick into the woods then Izzy and Nathan run - Izzy finds it, brings it 1/2 way and drops it. Then Nathan brings it to me. It was a hoot.
Nathan's female owner and I talked while I threw sticks.
When they were tired they came out and laid on the grass panting and just laying around.
That was my sign to go home. I had a tired dog. 

We walked home together.  That was about 3 weeks ago.
To find out they got rid of the dog breaks my heart.
I don't believe for a new york minute this has anything to do with the hours.
They make beaucoup bucks. They had options. 
They could pay $15 for a 45 minute dog walker around here.
They could fork out $30 1  full day of doggy day care (or less if you buy a package)
There are so many alternatives so Nathan isn't alone every day. 
Hell if they just told us this I would be willing to walk Nathan with Izzy on my hour lunch break. We always have a good long lunch play time.  One doesn't get rid of your family member without trying something first.  They didn't try anything period. That is where the story breaks down.

So last night when Rick was telling me this about their hours. I called bullshit.
This had to do with the wife not liking the dog. Not being able to handle the dog.
Not really wanting a dog. And that's okay but then don't commit to a dog.
Now that poor dog who has been with them since he was 4 months old is sitting in a shelter wondering why he was left there.

I hope some family that has the time and energy and space for this dog finds him.
Because he really is a good and beautiful dog.