Neptune

 Ellen had enjoyed the drive to the lake when she had closed her office at lunch that Friday afternoon.

She rarely did such a thing, feeling a personal responsibility to her patients, even though to most people they were four legged ones. But this was the Labor Day weekend, the end of summer, and she decided that a bit of a break was  in order, for herself and for her staff.

Ellen had packed some things that she wanted to take with her the night before, so when the office closed, all she had to do was get into her car and drive. She felt a keen loss because she had no dog riding with her. She always had a pet of some kind, but her beloved German Shepherd, Finn, had died about  a month ago, and she hadn’t had the heart to get another dog just yet.

She put the top down on her red convertible, turned the radio up as loud as it would go, and made the trip to the lake.

Ellen made the trip in no time. When she got there, she quickly carried in the things that she had brought with her, then opened a bottle of a good French red wine, and went out on the porch to enjoy it.

The wind suddenly picked up as she looked out from the porch. A
wall of dark clouds was pushing across the horizon and a light
chop had developed on the lake, gently rocking the tiny rowboat
tied to the dock. The changing seasons always brought
unpredictable weather. Just as she was about to turn toward the
door, movement in the water caught her attention. She squinted
and then her espresso eyes opened wide. Rushing down the stairs, she
kicked off her shoes, and raced to untie the boat... she was down to the water in a flash, and began rowing across the wind-tossed lake. She reached the frantically swimming dog quickly, and pulled it into her boat. He was dripping wet and shivering from being in the cold water. Ellen noticed with dismay that he was very thin, and his paws were raw. Clearly   not a dog that had been treated well.

She stroked his wet fur gently. “It’s alright, sweet one, I’m here now to take care of you. “, she told him.

When she got back to land, she tied the boat to the dock, and picked the  exhausted dog up in her arms, and carried him to her house.  Just as they made it inside, rain began to pour down. Ellen got a towel and dried the dog as well as she could, then wrapped him in a fleece blanket. She brought him some slices of deli ham that she had brought with her, as well as a bowl of fresh water.  While he ate, she took a closer look at him. He was a young German Shepherd, maybe one or two years old at the most. He hadn’t been neutered. He had a deep blue collar around his neck, but there was no tag indicating who his owner was. He was thin and malnourished, starving in fact. 

She got herself a glass of wine, and sat there with her new friend, stroking his fur.

She fixed herself a grilled cheese and bacon sandwich for dinner, and shared hers with the dog. She fixed herself a pot of hot tea, and curled up with him to watch a movie on tv.

That night, when she went to bed, the dog slept on the foot of the bed.

She put down some newspapers for him, and when she got up the next morning they were soiled, so she discovered that he was housebroken.

She put on a pot of coffee, then fixed a ham and cheese omelet and some grits with butter in them for breakfast.

After they had eaten, she dressed and drove to the nearest shelter, where she reported finding the dog. She indicated that she wanted to keep him if the owners did not claim him. She also indicated his poor condition to the shelter staff, and that she was a vet. She was told to keep the dog, and that they were notify her if the owners did indeed appear.

Ellen quickly grew attached to the dog, who she named Neptune. She fed him, and gave him a bath, and trimmed his nails. She bought him a new deep blue leather collar at the pet store, and a blue leather leash to match, as well as a squeaky orange ball,  and a long red stuffed dog. Then she selected some quality dog food for him, and a couple of bags of dog treats.

Three days later, the shelter called and told Ellen that they had located the dog’s owners and they didn’t want him back. She could keep him. That night Ellen cooked steaks on the grill for herself and Neptune.

The next day, Ellen and Neptune went shopping for some bandanas for him, as well as a large bed for him to use during the day (he slept with Ellen at night).  It was going to be a Happy Labor Day!