On Labor Day, our daughter Megan and I visited three local animals shelters in search of border collies, retrievers, or Australian shepherds who needed a home. She has been talking for some time about getting a dog of her own and Rob and I urged her to search the shelters first.
Our first stop was Animal Care and Control, the county shelter, a truly depressing place. The dog area isn’t air conditioned, although there are window fans that circulate the air. Many of the dogs didn’t have bedding, some didn’t have food or water in their bowls. Nearly every other dog was a pit bull – no puppies, just adult pit bulls whose sad eyes tell you a great deal more than you want to know about their lives. Here, we spent some time in a greeting area with a pretty white dog that was part retriever.
We both felt bummed out when we left the shelter and drove out to a place called Peggy Adams, a private shelter that was the complete antithesis of the county shelter. Here, all the animals are kept in air conditioned quarters, a necessity with summer temps reaching into the high 90s. The dogs have ample room in their cages and are walked by volunteers. They all had fresh water and food in their bowls. They even had toys and beds to sleep in.
Megan had her eye on an Australian shepherd who was listed on the shelter’s website. She was gorgeous, just a year old, with the most beautiful blue eyes, a shiny multicolored coat and a sweet temperament. But she had been adopted already and her new owner was to pick her up in a few days.
From here, we moved on to another private dog rescue center. The facility sits on 28 acres and used to be a wildlife center where Megan had volunteered in high school. When we walked in the front door, there were five or six dogs lounging in the air conditioned lobby, all comfortably ensconced in doggie beds or on quilts/bedspreads. But the area where most of the dogs were kept was hot, crowded, and many of the cages had signs written in angry red letters: heartworms; aggressive; issues with children. I felt nauseated in here, just as I had in the county shelter. Megan asked about the border collie puppies the center had posted on their website.
Since the place is staffed by mostly volunteers, there had been a snafu in the record-keeping. It turned out that a black and white pup had been brought in with some German shepherd pups and was listed as male – but was a female. And she looked nothing like the shepherds. The volunteer said she was a border collie. We played with her outside, a rambunctious little thing and said we wanted to think about it. We took pictures. That night at the dog park, we showed the pictures to a woman who owns a border collie. Her take? Definitely a border collie. “That white ring at the tip of the tail and those ears are the things to look for.”
The next day, we took Rob over for a look. Two days later, we brought her home. Megan was juggling two names – Niki and Nica. “I’m leaning toward Nica,” she said.
Here’s the synchro: Nica is the nickname of my antagonist in Esperanza, a book Megan hasn’t read. Yes, it’s possible she heard me toss that name around during random discussions and that it stuck in the back of her mind. But I probably would have referred to this character by her full name, Dominica. She’s not a nice person. Well, she’s not even a person. She’s a ghost that has evolved over the centuries so that she’s able to seize living people in order to experience the full physical pleasures of being human. She commands the largest tribe of such ghosts in South America and she and her tribe have terrorized Esperanza for decades.
I cautioned Megan about naming her dog Nica. But Nica she is, although megan changed the spelling of her name to NIKA. She’s a little lover, friendly to everyone, and a huge admirer of Noah, who steals her toys. He’s a gentle 95-pound Golden Retriever and to her, must look like an Olympian god. The three cats are defining their borders with Nica. Here she is with Powder, who is bigger than she is. Already Nica’s person is definitely Megan.
The difference in size is clearly depicted in the first picture, where Nika is curled up asleep against Noah. To give you some idea of how large Noah is, here he is chasing a squirrel and apparently figuring he can climb a tree.
I love Border Collies! They are awesome. 🙂
I had a border collie when I was a child. We lived on a farm. When I was four years old my mother used to let me wander around outside. She always new where I was because Buster was always with me. I remember walking into the field with wheat taller than I was. By myself I could have gotten lost as if in a forest. Buster stayed with me and Mom could tell where I was. Buster would jump up and down and Mom could see him.
Buster died when I was about six. That was 61 years old and I still miss him.
Ray
Wow. That says a lot about your dog – and you!
nica’s just a lost soul trying to find her way the only way she knows – like all of us, really – but funny her fab creator doesn’t see those other facets!!! 😉
Well, she’s definitely a lost soul! I like your take, Gypsy.
😉
you already know how much i’m smitten with little nica/nika – totally adorable and i so wish i were in a position to have one just like her – she’s so beautiful sleeping there beside noah – and with powder, how cute is she! does she nap with the cats, too?
now, about NICA in esperanza – i know i know – she’s all those things you mention – but i see also in her another side – the brokenhearted nica whose real life ended with the loss of her true love over whom she continues to mourn century after century – the brokenhearted nica whose own father sold her to the highest bidder [in a manner of speaking] when she was but a young woman and in love with her true love and then is thrown aside by this man when she cannot have a child – and whose own father ruthlessly kills her true love – so there she is – betrayed time after time by her father and then a husband – but, she continues her capacity for love as she mourns the loss of wayra – even into the non-physical world – remember how she weeps and sobs in the cave when she comes across cave drawings of wayra – she weeps for their lost love – for her early lost life as a human – she weeps for love – so, as i see her, a part of her heart remains intact, capable of love – her dilemma is in how to express that love – and how to express her sorrow and anger – now doing unto others before they can do unto her – again –
oh, geeezeeee…….so i have now defended the character of a fictional character in a fictional book in a setting which takes place in a fictional setting in a world which does not exist [well, to some it does not exist but that’s their problem] – and did i mention, all this to the woman who created this fictional character – i need help!!! 😉
wow, this is fascinating. You see facets in her personality that I don’t! How cool is that??
Most shelters are so upsetting. We brought our cat Lilah home from a shelter. I cried while there.
Nica, Nika is a real cutie. She now has a wonderful home.
She makes all of us laugh!
Congratulations on the newest addition to your family! These are the good times, indeed. Relish every moment, and take plenty of photos. “They grow up so fast!”
Oh, she is darling! And LUCKY!
a cutie, for sure!
How wonderful you were able to find just the right pup for Megan. I grew up around border collies and they definately are working dogs. They like to stake their territory and patrol it!
This reminds me of the story of going to the shelters when I was pregnant. My husband thought it would be fun. You know, see the puppies, maybe play with them. NOT! I cried for days. It haunted me even longer. All of those animals just wanting a home, love, and care. On that day a family was dropping off their 12 year old shepherd. The person asked for a donation, which they did not provide, and then had the audacity to ask if the dog would be adopted. The person behind the counter said that was highly unlikely – at which point they turned and walked out the door.
That was my last time in a shelter. I applaud any one who can go there and find an animal a home. I guess if someone else could go there and find one for me, that would be great. I would just want to bring all of them home with me. I love the little donation cannisters for the homeless animals – a great way to help with all of the displaced animals from the economic downturn.
Your story made me smile. I’m the same way. Years ago in graduate school, a friend convinced me to go to a shelter with her to look for a dog. I saw this one-eyed himalayan cat that stole my heart. I left
with the cat, she left empty-handed.
I hope Megan has a great life with Nika, border collies are very special dogs. Seeing the puppy brought back happy memories of our Toby. He was really my son’s dog and when he went off to uni (my son, that is!) he would lie next to Toby and would tell him how long he would be away and so on. I’m sure he understood. A border collie can only enrich your life. Love the pics.
We’ve heard these kinds of accolades from other people who own or have owned border collies.Hard to believe this puppy was surrendered to
animal care and control in Miami, a high kill shelter.
Re: Nancy’s comment below: That is the only draw back with border collies – they are working dogs, so need lots of exercise. When Toby was young he made his own path through our garden grass and, when restless, would run up and down, over and over – and the grass disappeared! He loved to be ‘in’ on everything with the family, even if only a car ride to post a letter.
At the moment my son, Darren, is on holiday in Wales and hopes to take Samuel up Mount Snowdon so he will be the highest boy in England and Wales. This is to evoke memories of when we, as a family, climbed to the top of Snowdon with Toby – and for a while he became the highest dog in England and Wales. (Mount Snowdon is the highest mountain in England and Wales). Now that did tire Toby out!
Good to know about border collies! Love that story of Toby and the rest of the family as the highest pooch in England/Wales!
Nika loves the dog park…the people, the dogs, all of it. When she doesn’t get enough exercise, she leaps on top of Noah and starts nibbling at his ears and tail.
Great post, can’t wait to meet the new dog! My dad wants to get a new puppy, but Mom can’t handle going to the shelters without wanting to take everyone home!
Your mom is worse than megan and me when it comes to these shelters!
It’s true!
🙂