Faith Through the Journey

My buddy, companion by default, and funny friend Riley was in desperate need of a bath. She loves to be petted, but every time she came up beside me she smelled like a wet, smelly dog (and she wasn’t wet at the time). I take her to a self-serve dog wash connected to the doggy day care Riley has attended periodically, so I loaded Riley up in my car and off we went. Riley LOVES to ride shotgun in my Jeep, although I also know that after her bath, she is very wild and runs all over the car, nearly hanging herself on her leash. Fortunately we live very close to the day care, so she can make it home without choking. She ran to my daughter’s bed, her favorite place to sleep during the day, and I didn’t hear from her for several hours. When she did come downstairs, she was limping and one of her paws was bleeding. Feeling like a terrible mom, I loaded Riley back into my car and went off to the vet. They are just around the corner and even though I didn’t have an appointment, they were able to look at her. After an exam and $132, Riley and I left with a diagnosis of a cut on her foot which was cleaned and bandaged, pain medication and antibiotics, and a vaccination that was due. Oh well, spending all my energy on the dog today was not what I had planned but at least I can face the rest of the family knowing that I took care of the family pet. Now I have to make kennel reservations … My youngest daughter will want to put her up in a 5-star hotel for sure now!