FIVE YEARS LATER, I’m again looking for love on the Internet.
On June 3, 2005, a petfinder.com listing led me to pay yet another visit to the Olympic Peninsula Humane Society shelter, near where I work in Port Angeles.
Dixie was waiting there. A short-haired border collie-type dog, she was exactly what I was searching for — she even liked cats.
But my husband, Dale, instantly identified a serious flaw while driving her from the shelter to Olympic Veterinary Clinic for her well-dog checkup.
Riding in a vehicle terrified young Dixie.
The next few days, we forcibly loaded her up and took her out driving.
After a few visits to Railroad Bridge Park and doggie-treat-dispensing stations such as the Red Carpet Car Wash in Carlsborg, Dixie began demanding to go with us every time she heard the jingle of car keys.
As Dixie became comfortable with us, we discovered she talks.
Sometimes, I swear she speaks English, clearly saying, “Hello,” or “Let’s go.”
She also sings along with passing sirens.
Having been a wild dog for a year, Dixie was very shy. She huddled against me and fled when friends, who were strangers to her, tried to pet her.
To this day, people who are meeting her for the first time remark on her shyness. However, those who have watched her blossom remark on how friendly she’s become.
One change hasn’t been for the better.
When Dixie first came to Ireland Farms, we liked the fact that she didn’t bark much. The more comfortable she’s become here, the more she barks, asserting her ownership.
Barking isn’t always bad.
One evening Dixie responded so forcefully to a close-by coyote chorus that the wild ones silently slunk away.
Dixie is an eager farm dog — sometimes too eager. She rushes to round up any chickens that escape their pen, which actually makes it easier for me to capture them.
She also loves to herd cows, horses and grandchildren. (Any shortcomings in her livestock-handling technique are directly attributable to inadequate training by her people.)
Now a great traveler, Dixie behaved beautifully throughout Memorial Day weekend, riding the ferry from Port Townsend to Keystone to attend the Friends Church Family Camp at Quaker Cove Retreat Center on Fidalgo Island.
When we paused at Whidbey Island Rescue for Equines north of Oak Harbor, Dixie wanted to chase the wild bunnies bouncing about, but settled for visiting nicely with a dog there while I checked out a horse.
(I’ve been looking at “Little Guy” on Petfinder for more than a year. He rides nice, but he’s still a just a “maybe.”)
Bunny chasing is permitted at Quaker Cove. Dixie bounced out joyously, bounding uphill and down, but never coming close to catching those teasing cottontails.
The only dog present at the camp, she was a great hit with children and adults, alike.
As always, Dixie preferred those adults who ignored her while she “read” them, and reached to pet her only after she finished a thorough sniff-over, yet she allowed a 3-year-old boy to hug her tight.
Back home, I’m again exploring Petfinder and other pet adoption sites. I dropped in at the Humane Society shelter Tuesday and left a message at Peninsula Friends of Animals, seeking an appointment to visit.
I love Dixie and she worships me, but there’s an emptiness here at Ireland Farms.
In 1996, I brought a then 5-month-old silver tabby home from the Humane Society shelter. For 14 years, Silver owned Dale and filled our home with purr-y fun.
It will take two cats to fill the void left by Silver’s passing.
By the time this is printed, I may have found a swishy-tailed pair to play with Dixie and Dale and me.
If not, I’ll still be checking out local animal shelters and Internet sites, looking for love.
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Martha Ireland was a Clallam County commissioner from 1996 through 1999 and is the secretary of the Republican Women of Clallam County, among other community endeavors.
She and her husband, Dale, live on their Carlsborg-area farm with their critters. Her column appears Fridays. E-mail her at irelands@olypen.com.
