Since buying a house in 2020, we have taken in and found homes for a handful of strays. There isn’t a shelter in my county and the ones closest are often full. Its rural so people sadly feel safe dumping these poor animals alongside lakes, creeks, and woods. We’ve had days where a small group of neighbors and I have rounded up whole litters of puppies in ditches, been bit by scared older dogs, and more. So when Mr. Creepy sent me a text message on Tuesday with a photo of a dog, I wasn’t shocked.
Mr. Creepy aka CRPTD, is a truck driver by day. He was delivering some lumber to a contractor when this redbone coonhound came up to him looking for pets. We’ve had a cold front the past week with temps in the single digits. On top of it being so cold, this poor boy was skin and bones from malnutrition and covered in ticks.
CRPTD asked the contractor about the dog.
Long story short, some bastard dumped him. The family that was living there felt bad for him but were literally in the process of moving house and couldn’t bring him with them. The contractor and workers give him pets and some human food but no one seemed able or interested in taking him in or finding him help. So CRPTD, being who he is, said he’d take him. He left work early and used his lunch to lure the dog into his car and bring him to me.
I am so thankful he wasn’t as bad as I feared. We immediately checked him for frostbite on his paws but other than being chapped and cracked, they’re ok. We got him dewormed, cleaned up, fed, and comfortable. While he was scared, he was the easiest of the dog’s we’ve taken in so far.
My main concern with any dog we bring in is safety. We’re not a kennel or rescue. We’re a house with a family that includes a child and a corgi. Any other dog we bring in could be a danger to either of them. CRPTD got a leash and treats on the way home and thankfully all of our precautions of having corgi up and kiddo back away were unnecessary. This dog is the most affectionate and gentle mannered we’ve seen despite being very scared of the new situation.
In fact, he’s so sweet we’re discussing keeping this one rather than finding him a new home once he’s in better shape.
Meet Bongo
Bongo’s a redbone coonhound, and he was named after the antelope, not the drum. They’re the same color, and if you’ve ever seen a coonhound run, they bound like antelope, hence. Bongo…
Bong’s a rescue. I got him as an adult and he’s starting to go a bit white around the muzzle now. He’d not that smart, but he can detect if a squirrel passed by at any point in the last millennium…
Coonhounds usually get dumped when they turn out not to be very good hunters. Bongo is an excellent watchdog, by which I mean that he will watch very alertly as the serial killer breaks into the house and skins me.
~ T. Kingfisher, The Twisted Ones.
We named this sweet pup after the coonhound in T. Kingfisher’s The Twisted Ones – one of my favorite horror novels, written by one of my favorite authors, set in one of my favorite locations (Appalachia, specifically western North Carolina). I thought it would be a good fit, considering.
So far, Bongo’s favorite things have been full body snuggles on the couch, lots of kisses until we beg him to stop because we didn’t need a bath just then, and popcorn. Bongo is not a fan of walking on slick floors, transitioning between rooms, or being told that the popcorn is gone. He also believes if he hides his head, you cannot see him despite being a long, tall, red dog that doesn’t fit under the stool where his head is hiding.
Want to Help?
As you can imagine, rescuing a dog isn’t cheap. Between meds, check ups, kennel, and supplies, the numbers add up quick.
If you’ve been thinking of buying one of my games or zines, now would be a great time to do so. You can find them digitally on itch, soon I will also have them available on etsy in physical form and will update here with that link.
Also, I have a Patreon where I share CRPTD’s music, writing, games, upcoming podcast episodes and more.
If you have a shelter in your area, please donate. Check in with them and see what they need – some only take monetary donations but others are happy to receive bags of food, blankets, and other items. Foster or adopt if you can.
