Skruffy’s Side of the Story

Sister’s House, Citrus Heights, CA

Ok, Skruffy here, and I have something to tell you.  If there are any little pups out there, let me tell you…NEVER have a liter of puppies, especially “IF” you live in a household with young kids in it.  First, mom and dad are not going to like the fact than instead of 1 dog, there are going to be a handful of dogs around.  Second, as the cute little puppies grow, they have to get rid of them…or of you.  When the time comes that the parents say, “Ok little Jimmy and Suzie, you have a choice…you can keep the momma dog that we have all grown to love, or you can keep one of her puppies.”  Well little pups out there, don’t say that Skruffy Dog did not warn you…the answer will be “We want to keep the cute little puppy,” 9 out of 10 times.  Yep…that’s what happened to little Skruffy Dog here.  And oh, it gets worse than that…

They will drop you off at a place like this…Luebker Vets…but wait, it gets worse than that…they do it on a SUNDAY, when they are closed!  They took me out of the car, walked me up to the door, sat me down and said, “STAY!”  Ya, well Skruffy Dog stayed alright…just until the car went out of sight.  Thank goodness for me (and Dave) right across the street was this Construction Firm, with lots of large vehicle and neat things to hide under, and that's where I headed, dodging cars as I crossed the street!

There were all kinds of people who worked there…and they started calling me “Skruffy”, and they left food out for me.  And on Saturdays and Sundays this nice lady would come by and put food under the fence for me.  Ya, I had it made in the shade….until…

…the storms started.  Night after night, rain, hard rain, and so many lightening hits that I ran out of paws to count them on…and then there was that scary thunder, so loud my ears hurt.  I hid under the biggest yellow vehicle I could find…and shivered at each and every strike and clap.  Oh, I tried to be brave, but I was only a little dog, and all alone.

One Thursday afternoon, after 4 straight days of intense rain, lightening and thunder, I saw one of the nice workmen getting into his truck to go home.  I walked up to him, looked up into the truck, and he says, “Skruffy, you want get in the truck with me?”  Well HELL yes, I thought…

“Skruffy, I told you, no curse words…so far you are doing a good job, now do you want to continue?”

“Sorry dad… … I won’t do it again, I promise."  “

“Ok Skruffy, now get on with your story….”

So ole Skruffy Dog did just that, I jumped into the truck.  But to my amazement, the man grabs me…and pets me…and tells me that I need a bath, but that he knew a nice lady who would take care of me.  He takes me into the office, and I hear them say, “Just call the library…”  Hmm, now I thought a library was a place to get books, but apparently this nice lady works at the library.  “The man said that he would call her, and she should be here in 10 minutes…”, I hear them say.  Sure enough, 10 minutes later that same lady who put out food for me on Saturday and Sunday drove up…I started to wag my tail, because she always gave me some sausages, some hamburger meat, and even a few fries with it.

I get to her house just a few minutes away and what do I find…FOUR DOGS!  Oh no, this is not going to work…who would want a fifth dog???  So I look up at her with my saddest eyes, and she says, “Oh, it is going to be fine Skruffy, because this nice man named Dave is going to come over.  I am going to sit you on his lap, and when I come back to pick you up in 10 minutes or so, you just give me a big old growl…show your teeth if you want.  That way, I can just tell him, “Well, you have to take her now, SHE OWNS YOU NOW”.  And that is exactly what I did.

Well, that’s my story.  And Dave, and Marcia, and Uncle Arny, and Aunt Sandy, and Grandma and Grandpa, and ALL the Library people, and EVEN Bubba have been so very nice to me.  Even when I left a little brown present on Grandma’s Bedroom Floor right before Dad and I went back to Pine Bluff the first time we visited them, just a month after Dad and I got together, the next time I saw Grandma she gave me some love…and I didn’t even get a whooping like Dad did when the moron fell through the Greenhouse roof…

SKRUFFY!

Sorry Dad…but you were being a bit stupid that day…Grandma told me the story many many times….besides DAD, it hasn’t been ALL ROSES living you, you know.  First, you did not ask me if Marcia and Bubba could move in, and you made both Bubba and I stay in the car when that Minister Dude said some words out of the bible and then you kissed mom..

SKRUFFY, are you about done with the story?

And then DAD, how about I stick you up in a tree like you did to me…or at the edge of one of them walls you made me sit on with the cliff or the lake or concrete on the other side if I fell?  All just to get a stupid picture... And then there is the time you turned me into a THREE HEADED MONSTER…see, I still have that picture!

Ok Skruffy, you got a point there…who would want to see three of you, one is more than enough!     However, is there anything else you want to say, or just continue with your story, and I hope you are nearly done…

Well, the only other thing I want to say is, I have been traumatized about Veterinarians ever since my former owners dropped me off at the Vet to get rid of me…until last year when we were in Alaska.  Just look at me there to the right…in mom’s arms.  I looked DEAD.  And then you took me to Soldotna Animal Hospital, and I met Dr. Meezie, and the rest of the staff, and look at me now!  I love them folks at Soldotna Animal Hospital!  And hey, all you dog owners need to brush up on what the danger signs are for a dog with Diabetes, much better to catch it quick before it kills your doggie!

Thanks for letting me tell my story Dad, I hope everyone out there learns a big lesson….neuter and spay your dogs, and IF you are stupid enough to forget to do that, DON’T drop any puppies or mommies off at a Vet’s office when it is not open, and if you want to get rid of a dog or cat, it is NOT a Vet’s office you do this at, find a no-kill shelter.  Thank you folks…oh and Dad, I think we both saved each other…you were kind of a mess that first day I met you, but you are doing much much better now.

Thank you Skruffy…now go to bed, it’s past your bedtime.

Dad, I am a dog…I don’t have a bedtime…haven't you learned anything these past 9 years?  (I told you folks that Dad can be a bit stupid at times...)

Skruffy’s Ninth Anniversary

Sister’s House, Citrus Heights, CA

Nine years ago this month this little critter came into my life.  Above Skruffy is sitting in my old office at the library sticking her tongue out at the cruel world that she left behind when she came into my life.    You see, she was “rescued” off the streets of Pine Bluff Arkansas…where for nearly 3 weeks she had been living under construction equipment such as large trucks, tractors, and other equipment where she had been abandoned by her former owners.  She had just had a liter of pups, and the vet felt she was just over 1 years old.  The construction people gave her the name Skruffy, I decided to keep it spelling it with a “K” instead of a “C”.   Below is a picture of her after I had her for a few months, taken care of her heartworms, had her fixed, and groomed.  I told them to leave her face looking “Skruffy”, and they did. 

For 16 months she went to the library with me day and night…even went on library trip to Colorado where I put her into Doggie Day Care during the day while I was in meetings.  For the first few months when she was in my office, if I had to leave to talk to a staff member, fix a computer, whatever, I would have to shut my door.  She would start barking fairly quickly, but it got better with time and she was able to stay in the office when I left it with the door open…but within ten minutes she would let out a quick bark or two…wait…and repeat.  Staff would go by and say, “He will be right back Skruffy…”, and that would quiet her down…for about 5 minutes, and then she would repeat her two quick barks.  “IF” my absence turned out to be a longer one than I anticipated, I would take her down to the bottom floor staff area and she would do just fine sitting in an office with a staff member.  When Marcia and I married in February 2011, along with Marcia came Bubba…and Bubba has allowed us to leave Skruffy without her going crazy because she was “alone”.   A year later we were on the road for 7-9 months each year.

On the road in Texas, almost blown out of a tree…

On the road to Crater Lake Nation Park, Oregon

On the road to Glacier National Park, Montana

On the road to Yosemite National Park, California

On the road entering the Alaskan Highway, Dawson Creek, BC

One the road being the chief navigator, California Desert

On the road being the driver in the snow and rain…on the way to Alaska

On the road searching for grass with Bubba, California Desert

Skruffy’s road almost comes to an end…Soldotna, Alaska

Skruffy and Bubba’s FAVORITE moment of each day in Sacramento
(now she gets about 1/2 ounce of pork due to diabetes, followed by 

her breakfast and her breakfast shot of insulin)

And although Skruffy is the one in many of our photos as we visit places, BOTH Skruffy and Bubba are “STARS” in our eyes. 

(Bubba just can’t sit there, he wants to wander off)

Skruffy helping Marcia, Service Dog with phone at the ready (pink bag on her back)

Nope…she isn’t getting any birthday cake, just more love…