Brittany’s Dog Haven

Two weeks ago, as I was walking home from work, I stumbled across a small, brown, unmoving figure curled up on the side of the road. His adorable puppy-dog face and small size, combined with his obvious helplessness, made the decision easy. Without a second thought, I picked it up and took it home.
I didn’t realize until later that my new puppy was sick – very sick, actually. All of a sudden, saving his life became my number one priority. I called a local NGO that treats street dogs and, to my surprise, they came straight to my house. They gave him an intestinal worm treatment, and prescribed me all sorts of medicine to give him over the next few weeks. “What about his skin problem?,” I asked, noticing the bumps and dandruff all over him. “He’s too young and weak,” the doctor replied. “Your job is to get him strong and to keep him from biting himself to death. We’ll visit again in three weeks.”
And with that they were off, leaving this sick puppy with a girl who has never taken care of even a HEALTHY dog before! Feeling rather uneasy that this puppy’s life was solely in my hands, I wrapped him up in a blanket and put him to sleep.
Over the next week, I did my utmost to make him strong and well. I bought a hot-water bag, which I refilled hourly, to keep him warm in this brutal Kathmandu winter. I fed him warm milk through a bottle. I woke up three times each night to help him fall back asleep. I bandaged practically his entire body to keep him from scratching himself. I bathed him. I clothed him. I medicated him. I fed him.
And in return, I got flees and a great lack of sleep.
But I don’t care. It was all worth it. I’d do it again in a second – because now, two weeks later, he is healthy and happy. He’s become a normal puppy! He plays and bites all day, and sleeps all night. His appetite is back, his skin problem is vastly improving, and he’s ever so cute!
To top it off, he gets along with Hershey, the three-year-old black lab I’ve been babysitting for the past month. They are so adorable together – playing, sleeping together, keeping each other company. And I’ve even found my little puppy a home for when I leave next month.
Thus, all is well in my household. I have two robust, content dogs, and even though my apartment smells of dog and has black fur all over, I am content too.