(INTO THE LIGHT) All About Goldie!

 by Alan Bounville

Meet Goldie Hawn! A few miles into a walk last week, a stow away joined me. It was raining this morning and this poor puppy was wandering around the highway soaking wet, coming close to being hit by cars a number of times as I past him. I didn’t know what to do. I’m so fed up at folks in the country not keeping their pets away from the road – ESPECIALLY when they live on a highway!

But something was different about this baby. He looked confused and scared. I called him over to me and saw that he was thin. I gave him a bit of my food. I went to the nearest house and talked to someone there who said his humans were in the house up the street. I asked if they could help get him home. The person refused. So, I walked away. Since I showed this adorable puppy some kindness, he began following me.

I thought after a little ways he would get tired and walk home. He didn’t. But he didn’t stay away from the road either. I kept having to go into the road to rescue him from being hit. After a couple of miles I gave him a name – Goldie Hawn. But I was still hoping he would turn around and go home. Five miles in, Goldie Hawn was still walking with me, across my path, and across the street.


He seemed thirsty, so I gave him water. While petting him I noticed he had a big tick lodged into his head. I tried getting it out to no avail. He jumped around in the creeks and puddles on the side of the road. He picked up a stick and brought it to me. We started playing fetch. He rolled around on the carcass of a deer – well the ribs and head of a deer anyway. He rolled all over the carcass of an armadillo. Both times he scented himself, I scolded him – “Goldie Hawn! Stop that! Get over here.”

Ten miles in and Goldie Hawn was trained. I would point my fingers to my left side, which was the side away from the road, and he walked right there. But the cars kept spooking him as they zipped by. He would try to run back into the street after cars passed by. So I’d direct him again to my left. And he would come to me. But I also noticed he would wince a bit when I pointed.

That was it. I think people who hit animals should try being hit and see how they like it. (I think the same thing about people who hit kids or anyone. If you want to hit a creature – try getting your face, ass, or whatever whacked.)

I had no idea what I was going to do. But I was definitely not going to try and find Goldie Hawn’s humans anymore. No one was coming for Goldie Hawn. The neighbor didn’t give two shits about him. Goldie Hawn was now my responsibility.

There’s so much more to this story, but I’m exhausted. But I will add this. The motel I was trying to get to tonight was expensive. I just gave $300 to Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund. That meant I had just a couple hundred dollars available to me until next week when I can access some of the funds donated recently via Fractured Atlas (the organization the funds donated online go through). William not only drove over two hours to rescue Goldie Hawn, and in turn rescue me from having to figure out what to do with him, he paid for not one, but two nights for me at the motel (where I am now comfortably writing this message).

Now that I am past the stress of walking 25 of today’s miles with this doggie for equality, I’m more thankful than I’ve been in a very long time. I get to conserve the couple hundred dollars I have. I can take a tomorrow off from walking and rest up for my next 28-mile day. And most importantly – Goldie Hawn is safe.
 

He had a check up  with my Host's vet and Goldie has a couple of small issues but, very normal for a stray.

He…
-Has e-cansis (which is an infection from the common brown tick we have here in TN). He is being treated with antibiotics and will be fine.
-Has hook worms in his poop–again treatable with no long standing effects.
-GREAT NEWS–NO heart worms!!!!
-Is a youngster kid (Lab) & believed to be 2 – 3 years old.
-Appears to be leash trained.
-Is house broken.
-Follows commands well (as well as we would expect a guy his age too).
-Gets along with other dogs well (including my guys who are all 15 lbs or less) including my male dogs. He actually blended into the pack as a sub-servant fellow versus a dominant.
-LOVES, LOVES, LOVES to play fetch, play with a ball, play tug of war and is TOO CUTE!
-Full grown though needs to put on some weight – a bit too thin at the moment.

It turns out Goldie’s real name is Tripper. Through a lost and found network the vet Goldie, I mean Tripper, was taken to by William, Tripper’s original humans have been found! They were able to verify this was their dog by a scar he has on his tongue, their vet records, and photos they have of Tripper with the family.

As it turns out, when I found Tripper he was 100 miles from his home in Ripley, Tn and has been missing since August! Also, Tripper is quite the well known hunting dog!

When Tripper got home, he went right to the toilet for a drink. He then played with his human kids before laying in his bed for a nap. Sounds about right for this quirky, lovable soul.

Tripper’s family also took care of the vet bill when they picked him up yesterday. Oh – and when Tripper saw the family, he went into his happy dance.

I am so happy this all worked out for the best. Thank you to everyone who spread the word and donated to the vet’s office, to Derek Graver for offering to adopt Goldie – I mean Tripper, and most of all to William Hanley for rescuing Tripper and helping him reunite with his human family.