Rescurers

Oza was part German Shepard, part Lab, maybe a pit bull. Whatever she was after she had gotten pregnant, she was discarded. She was taken to the Humane Society with her belly full of pups. She had given birth to 9 pups. All pups were beautiful and healthy. It's just that Oza's previous owner could not handle keeping any of the pups and was angry at Oza for engaging in fornication on her front lawn. The pit bull had jumped on her and pinned around Oza's haunches.

No amount of yelling and trying to shoo away the pit bull with a broom would free the bitch from her assailant. Mrs. Gray was angry and frustrated, she didn't have the patience or wherewith all to deal with what was upcoming next. Oza getting pregnant.

Oza was only a year and a half old and a good friend to Mrs. Gray. But, Mrs. Gray was set in her beliefs and did not look at Oza the same way she had used to look upon her. Oza became the "no good straying hussy". The one who wandered away from the porch and got herself into trouble.

Still, Mrs. Gray loved Oza in her own way. She gave Oza the best food she could mix up. There were always roast leftovers, chicken breasts, and round steak bones to give to Oza as treats. Oza loved it all. Oza grew very heavy and Mrs. Gray could not pick her up to carry her, and she could not get her up the basement stairs any longer. She called her niece to get her help to take Oza preggie to the dog pound.

Within 4 days of being dropped off at the Jackson Human Society, Oz gave birth to 9 pups. All of them were healthy and without mites. They were of a good weight. There were 3 predominately brown pups and six black ones.

I was on the down-low. I did not want to go to the Humane Society to look at dogs or cats, but Jenny had it on her mind that she wanted to adopt a puppy. Jenny found the puppy of her dreams. It was the last of Oza's pups to be adopted out. He was mostly black, with a few brown streaks on his belly. He had a tan streak on the underside of his belly. Jenny was told she would have to wait another 5 weeks before the puppy was healthy and weaned away from his mother.

But, all I could think about was what was going to happen to Oza? She was a beautiful black German Shepherd type Lab/Pitbull mix. She was no longer a puppy, and she was not past her 2nd year of life, yet.

I could no longer bear it. Oza looked at me from her sleepy state as the pups nursed on her teets. She reached her paw towards me through the wire enclosure. Her paw touched my forearm. It was as if she was giving me a signal. She was reaching out to me. I had not had my own dog ever. My family always had a dog, but they were more like watchdogs than playful pets.

My heart leaped out of my chest and I placed my left hand over her paw lightly stating, "Yes, Oza I will take you home with me when you're ready to leave." Jenny and I returned a few weeks later to get our dogs.

I was exhilarated. I went to the pet store and purchased a pretty pink dog collar, a pretty pink dog bed with dog bones all over it, and a newly founded leash that was sturdy enough and would not break loose. I, also, bought some Puperoni sticks, a Donkey Kong thingy jammer to put peanut butter in, and some quality dog food. My Oza, was going to have the best food and funnest toys out on the market.

Oza jumped into my new Ford Focus and sat in the front seat in her cab. When I brought her home, she jumped out of the car and swirled around me. She licked my hands in appreciation. Oza was filling my broken heart with love that was drained from the last guy I was dating. We shared everything. I know that people would frown upon it, but I shared my covers and my full-size bed with Oza.

Oza even got to sleep on Jack's old pillow. One thing that I did not like, though, was having to get up at 6AM to take Oza for a walk. That was the hardest part. When I awakened to howling and whimpering, I had to pee too, so I would do a swift emptying of my bladder and off we went.

Once outside, the fresh air and the full awakedness gave me energy. The walks eventually helped me lose the 10 lbs. that I was forever trying to get rid of.

Once home after the morning walks, I got a shower in and got ready for work. Both Oza and I were into a routine. I eventually had a doggy door installed so that Oza could go off and do her business without me having to go with her every time. We worked out a spot in the back of the yard by the garbage and the cherry tree. A pile of dirt beneath and sand covered the 7 by 6 area. She always made it to the area and I would clean up afterward.

Still, the morning walks kept us healthy and happy. Oza loved to chase after tennis balls and Frisbees in the backyard.

We made friends with Chuck and his Lab next door. They had just moved in. Oza welcomed Blacky to the neighborhood. It was only right that I introduced myself and Oza to Chuck. Oza was 5 years old now; Blacky was about 4 years old.

While Oza and Blacky played and horsed around outside, Chuck and I became best friends. We would share dinner 4 times out of the week. Then, we became more than friends. We eventually got married. But, we didn't have any children. I was unable to give birth, and that was okay with Chuck.

We were both in our forties. Oza and Blacky were best buds and kept us all happy and homey. Both dogs never gave us a lick of trouble, but we would often find some of our cookies and chips gone from the kitchen table.

Once, in the middle of the night, we heard the creaking of our front door. Chuck and I weren't sure, but thought we may have been getting robbed. We did not have any guns in the home, as we didn't believe in them. I was terrified of them in the first place.

All of a sudden, we heard the low murmur growls of Blacky and Oza. In a flash, we heard scampering. Both Blacky and Oza nabbed the prowler before we could even get the lights on. The man screamed and moaned in pain.

As Chuck found a baseball bat and I turned on the light, we saw this twenty-year-old kid on the floor with gnashes in his arm. They were flesh wounds and not very deep, but Oza and Blacky looked so fierce with their white, spiky, teeth glowing as the flashlight grazed over them. The assailant screamed in terror more than in pain. The young man, kid was looking for some money and food. He had no idea what he was in for.

He stood up as best he could with his lanky, wasted boy before us. His blond hair was disheveled and sweaty. I quickly, got a towel and called 911 for an ambulance. The kid explained that he was out of money as he lost his job due to Covid-19. We canceled the ambulance when we discovered the wound wasn't that bad.

He said his whole family fell ill to Covid and died within a matter of weeks. He said he was living out of his car until he ran out of gas. Turned out he was one of the Weiner's kids two blocks down the rural street. Instead of calling the police, we bandaged his wound, gave him some hot soup and a turkey sandwich. He tried to hold back tears, but the lamp showed the outline of wet lashes. We sat in silence.

Oza and Blacky surrounded the would be thief and offered their friendship as observed by their wagging tails. Don would not pet them, though, he was apprehensive. Don was ashamed and bowed his head in disgrace. Chuck patted the young man on his shoulder and said, "Let's just forget all about it."

Don became our friend, and we gave him a job tending to the grass and landscape and looking after the dogs when we went on vacation.

It was like that for around three years. Don was able to get another job during all that time and save to go to college. He finally met a young Social Worker at College, and they moved in together.

There were no more incidences of anyone breaking into our home since the first time. We even offered to have the wedding and reception in our backyard. It was a beautiful fall day and Oza and Blacky carried the baskets of flowers and pillows with rings on them. They were the best bridesmaid and best groomsman. Well, Chuck and I were really, but they participated.

We had a beautiful 4 layered buttercream wedding cake for the guests and a small doggy pate cake for Oza and Blacky. Those were good times.

Donald and his wife are starting to have kids of their own. But, sad for us our kids, Oza and Blacky crossed the rainbow bridge just this past year. They are missed, but we have it in mind to go to the pet shelter and bring some rescues home with us before Spring.