Left With a Note...a Tale of Three Pups

Today’s adoption spotlight story takes us back to April of last year. We see many strange things in the shelter world, and many times our hearts are broken by awful stories of neglect, abuse, or cruelty in the lives of the pets that come to us. But while Thistle and her siblings have a happy ending, their introduction to us ranks as one of the most bizarre stories we have come across.

We first met these big-eared, speckled cuties when a kind gentleman stopped by the shelter with a very strange tale to tell. He owns property way out in the country, and a few miles from his home he has cattle pastures. On the way to feed the cows early one morning, something out of place caught his eye. “There’s an old house beside that dirt road that’s been abandoned for at least ten years,” he told us, “It’s empty and falling down, you’d never see anyone there. But on my way by this morning I saw a plastic bucket setting in the yard, and thought I’d pick it up and use it to carry feed.”

When he made his way over to pick up the bucket, however, he was utterly stunned. Playing around it were three little speckled puppies with big, pointy ears and even bigger, scared eyes! Taped to the side of the bucket was a cryptic note scribbled on an old brown envelope:

“Larry;

Here are those pups. I hope you keep one of them, because you know how the Asians like to fatten them and eat them. These pups were born on January 27, 2018. I wish I could keep the small mail that has spots and some white on him, he is so smart!

Love, Linda

I will see you at work Tuesday!”  

We were utterly baffled. What possible meaning could we attach to this note that made any sense whatsoever? If the pups were meant to be found, why were they left in such an abandoned location? If someone wanted to dump puppies in secret, why did they leave their name?

It’s likely we will never know the truth behind the appearance of these three sweet puppies at that abandoned house way out in the country, but we will forever be grateful that they were found by a kind person who, rather than just passing on  by as many would do, took the time to stop and pick up these helpless little ones. He took them back to his home and fed them, and boy were they hungry! And then, because he wasn’t in a position to keep three hungry little pups, he brought them to us. Our Facebook followers were riveted by the story of the strange note (which really seemed like something out of a mystery novel!), and it wasn’t long before the trio of sisters - now named Tandy, Thistle, and Tawny - each  found a wonderful forever home!

Thistle, our star for this week, got really lucky - she has a home way out in the beautiful countryside of Madison County, where wildflowers grow and a bubbling stream flows by the old cabin. She gets to run and play in the grass with her buddies - Delilah the grumpy grandma dog (who was quick to teach Thistle the rules but secretly seems to enjoy her little shadow!), Willie the fat old Basset hound, and clan of adventurous cats, but best of all, her spunky little doggy friend Butterbean - also a Paws and Claws Adoptee!

Thistle has grown up into such a beautiful girl, speckled and spotted like a Catahoula, but with the foxy face and pointy ears of a heeler or Shepherd. She’s unbelievably smart and learned so many tricks just in her first few weeks home. Her human is always ready to tell stories of just how smart and spunky little Thistle is as she blazes trails and chases butterflies with her crew of friends!