This winter has been full of changes. Some good. Some not so good. Just before Thanksgiving, we got a pretty significant snowfall. And it got cold.
Our little Chihuahua-mix dog caught something the day after Thanksgiving and it seems to have turned into a lung infection. Finding a veterinarian open on a Friday night, on the weekend of Thanksgiving, was next to impossible. I planned to take him in Saturday morning to an emergency vet, but he was gone by then.
For the next few weeks, I would start to get up to take the dog out. Then, realize that he was no longer around.
Snow continued to build up until there was something like three feet in the back yard. The cold kept it from melting and it wasn’t until after Christmas that it warmed enough that it started melting. Snow from city plows had been stacked in huge piles along streets and in corners of parking lots–sometimes covering several parking places.
Melt
The melt was not fast, so flooding wasn’t a problem. But it did get cold at night, so streets would be icy in the mornings. It was getting to the point that I thought we might get an early spring, then the temps dropped again and we got a couple more snowfalls. Not much, really. Just an inch or so.
During this time, my wife and I discussed getting another dog. Some folks pushed for adoption from a rescue or shelter. Unfortunately, we really can’t deal with a large dog and would like a new friend who would be with us for more than a few years. Most of the shelter dogs in our area were in the 10-12 years age range.
I love chihuahuas. But my allergies can be a problem. We started looking for a puppy that doesn’t shed and would be small (6-8 pounds at adult). My wife can handle that size and that size works for where we live.
Scams
Well, this was a whole new experience trying to find a reputable breeder that meets those criteria. First thing we learned is: Do not trust any ad on Facebook. While I left FB a while back, the wife is still on it and made the mistake of looking there. We found more than one scammer there. Tell-tales include long messages that sometimes go over items more than once when you communicate with them. Usually, this indicates copied text from some other site. Web sites used are often newly registered with off-shore registrars that also register scam and criminal outfits. These sites have blocks of text (poorly worded at times) and photos copied from other sites (legitimate and otherwise).
Another clue is they will only take cash from transfer services, not credit cards or other more secure methods. A credit card transaction protects the seller and the buyer.
Then we found a legit breeder with the right kind of puppies. So, in about a week, we will have a new fur buddy and will be busy training and learning.
But, the way the weather forecast looks, I won’t be getting a motorcycle ride on February First.
Keep writing.
