Last weekend, Beulah ran out the front door and attacked a little neighbor girl's poodle puppy (which was being walked by the 8 year old girl!). It was pretty awful-there was a whole flock of little girls in my front yard, and Beulah was seriously trying to kill that little dog. Screaming, Crying-awful. I was literally 2 steps behind her, and had to wrestle her to the ground to get her to stop. She *still* wouldn't stop, though, even as I bodily carried her away (Beulah isn't exactly a "little" dog though thankfully only about 50 pounds). She snapped at me, which I would never in a million years expect to happen.
The puppy was okay-no blood. Of course we apologized profusely, but there is anything that can be said to make up for something like that?
I knew Beulah had to go. She went from sweet mellow dog to vicious killer in a split second-and oddly enough, after trying to bite me while I carried her in, she turned into her sweet, normal self as soon as she got back in the house. The dog set her off, and there was no stopping her. She'd done it before- she attacked a beagle on a hike one day last summer the same way-zero to killer in an instant. That time she was leashed and it only involved adults, so we thought we were doing the right thing by just keeping her away from other dogs after that. We were wrong-she needed serious intervention *then*. And now, it was too late, I would never be able to live with myself if she bit a child, and if I hadn't been right there when it happened, it would have-she would have killed the puppy and bit any kid who tried to stop her.
So I started calling no-kill shelters.
23, to be exact.
Of the ones who weren't full, they all told me to just put her down. I know they are right, since perfectly tempered, purebred dogs are put down every year by the millions, because no one wants them. Who would want a Chow mutt with a bad temper?
So we made the appointment to have her put down.
Then Mark got a call from a rescue near the North Carolina/Virginia border, who could take her. They specialize in aggressive dogs-in fact, they have mostly Pit Bulls. Comparatively speaking, Beulah was an "easy case" for these guys.
Beulah was saved from imminent death-by-car on the highway in Mississippi, then had a dangerous abscess, and now has been lucky yet again. I swear she's destined to save someone from a burning building or something some day, that is one lucky dog.
I took her there on Thursday, I think I cried the whole way. George and Patrick, who run the shelter, were wonderful-they hugged me and assured me that Beulah would be okay. I hope so. They are gay vegetarian Buddhists, and I have to say, if you need to give your dog up, that's who you want to give it to. Wonderful, amazing men with a mission to save the world's most unwanted. Which Beulah is, again.
I just really want her back, even though I know we can't keep her. Its been a tough week here.The girls are doing okay with it, I think because they were there and saw the whole thing. Pretty scary. I've never been on *this* side of the dog rescue world though, and I never want to again. I miss her, and I love her, and I know we let her down by not taking her dog aggression seriously until the worst happened. Its never the dogs fault, really, its always the owners, the dogs just pay the price.
I have to believe Beulah will find peace and love and a new home with people who can handle her. The only other option was putting her to sleep, so this at least gives her a chance. I know she won't lack love, as George and Patrick are very loving people. They also work with a trainer named Melissa who rehabilitates these dogs (they have some rescued from dog fighting rings-the truly tough cases). Its a small place-only 11 dogs. They said she's one of the most adoptable dogs they have-fixed, housebroken, good with kids. Some of their dogs are unadoptable, ruined forever by people who trained them to kill.
Anyway, that's the story. These are some photos of Beulah I took for them to put up on their website, so she'd look cute and"take me home" -able.
I miss her.
We had a promotion-to-the-next-grade ceremony with the home school group last night, and it coincided nicely with our last day of school today! The girls got certificates for completing the 3rd grade and Kindergarten, and we had some cake and punch. Especially touching were the 2 home school group graduates- I can't imagine the girls ever being that old! 
April 26th-its spring, and time to get the sidewalk chalk out!
And for April 28th, here's Circus Freak Rowan in her brand spankin' new leotard. Her favorite color is blue, and she likes the stars because her team is the Shooting Stars!
On the 17th, Mark, the girls and Grammy and Papa (visiting from St. Louis) went on a Capitol tour in D.C. Here they are on the steps overlooking the mall and the Washington Monument.
April 13th I had leg surgery. Here are my gnarly looking legs, all bandaged up. I'm allergic to Percoset, so no picture for April 14th since I was VERY grouchy without any pain medication!
