Camp

The first time we met Camp, we felt good about the possibilities.  There were a lot of questions.  Could he adapt to our lives, could he get along with our other “kids”, could he get along with me.  Dalmatians are not new to me; I have had a Dal in the family since 1971.  What is new is each personality they bring into the spectrum.  Camp has shown he is a survivor, independent, but needy.  The first time I told him “no” and made a quick movement toward him to prevent him from going somewhere he was determined to investigate, he snapped at me.  Ironically, that is when I truly saw he needed me.  Our stubbornness is just about equal.  The second bit of irony is that Marva was the one who found Camp and said we need to go meet him.  I agreed and said, “Whatever you want to do”, little did I know… 
 
I feel lucky that Camp has in such a short time gained trust in us, knowing what he has been through in the past.  When he and Jake, our 3 year old Golden Retriever met, they were friends immediately; running, playing, and doing what boys do, everywhere, I mean everywhere.  No tree was safe, not even tall grass was missed. 

When Camp finally met Rocky, our 14 1⁄2 year old Dal, things were a little different.  Rocky’s attitude was, “Oh great, another one invading my home”.  Camp met the challenge as all dominant males do.  This also has passed.  Recently Rocky came down with Vestibular Disease (similar to a stroke, causing extreme vertigo), and Camp was the one concerned about him.  Constantly checking to see if he was ok, and giving him space so he didn’t cause any extra stress (to the point of staying in the next room).  That’s when we knew it was time.  He had become part of the family.

The last time I took Camp back to K-9, Jake was in pout mode for days, so depressed.  I would walk in the door and he looked behind me like he was saying, “But where is Camp?”  Last night I pulled out Camp’s collar and leash to make sure I brought it with me to pick up Camp, Jake went nuts.  He knew it wasn’t his, it was CAMP’S!  Even Rocky seemed to perk up a little.
 
I have written all of this to tell you how special we think those at DRNT and K-9 are.  Because of your caring, you kept this amazing animal going so he could become a part of our lives.  The collar and leash I mentioned above we bought new for Camp a small sign of a new life.  One thing that will always hang from the loop on that collar is the small metal tag with DRNT on it. He will always carry with him the memory of how he got here.

Tom & Marva Worsham, May 1, 2009

 

 

 

 
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