“But it looks like you cleaned him up really well. He’s pretty fluffy and dry.”
Devon nodded. “We couldn’t let him be all gross. We didn’t know if we should do flea shampoo or anything, but he didn’t seem to have ticks.”
“Flea shampoo would be a little harsh for a guy this small. I don’t think he needs it. We don’t have a problem with that up here right now, anyway. And you’re right, he doesn’t appear to have any ticks.” Jeremy held the pup in one hand while he worked his back legs, his shoulders in front, his tail, and palpated his belly with the other hand.
“That’s good, right?” Devon didn’t want anything to be wrong with this little guy. He was so small and defenseless.
“Yes, that’s definitely good. He’s got a little bit of flex in his back right leg that tells me he might have a tiny bit of hip dysplasia, but otherwise, he feels pretty good. With your permission, I’d like to take some blood and test him for all the various parasites and stuff like that to make sure there’s no evidence of worms or of diseases like distemper and that sort of thing. He seems to be pretty healthy though.”
“Of course.” He looked at Laird, then back at Jeremy. “Would he get his first round of shots today if he’s otherwise healthy?”
“He will. And then you’ll have to come back twice after that to finish everything off.” Jeremy held the little guy up and nuzzled their noses together, which was just the cutest thing ever. “You’ll have to keep him out of other people’s yards and away from other people’s dogs and not board him until after he’s had all of his shots. Then he should be safe.”
Laird was still clicking on his phone with the hand not wrapped around Devon’s wrist, where it had slid down from his shoulders. “Is there anything I need to get him health-wise, along with all the things that he needs to be safe and happy in the house?”
“I don’t think so. I think you’ll be fine. I wonder if somebody didn’t open a door on their way back and forth from the river, or someplace, if maybe he just bounced out.”
Devon shook his head. “He seems really little.”
“Well, he’s not brand-new; this breed type is tiny. He’s a puppy for sure, but who knows? He could have been lost from a camper and then just wandered and wandered until he foundsomeplace safe. I’ll check the boards and make sure there’s nothing that says Missing Puppy.” Jeremy smiled at him. “I suggest you put up some signs to see if somebody is missing a dog. But honestly, guys, they’re gonna call here, and they’re gonna call the pound in Montrose and ask if we’ve seen him.”
“Okay, then he can hang out at our place and wait to see if somebody comes. If they don’t, we’ll keep him.” Devon was very certain.
Laird rolled his eyes, and Devon figured it was okay because the dog was cute, and honestly, the cats had not tried to kill it immediately, so he supposed that was a good thing.
“I’m kind of in love with him already.” Devon’s cheeks heated a little bit.
“Then we’ll work with it,” Laird said. “Maybe I’ll have somebody on my side for a change. Not that the cats hate me anymore, but they’re still not my best friends.”
“Yeah, they’re kind of standoffish, my cats.”
Jeremy blinked at both of them. “Standoffish does not begin to cover what those cats are.”
“Hey, they’ve never shredded you.” Devon wagged a finger at Jeremy. “They’ve been very polite.”
“Only because you bring them in wrapped in towels.”
That had Laird cracking up, shaking against him. “Being a vet sounds a lot like being an EMT. It’s weird what people will do when they’re in an ambulance.”
“You know it, and at least people you can communicate with. There’s lots of times I get a critter, and it can’t tell me what’s wrong, and it just—I hate that. I mean…” Jeremy shrugged and smiled. “I love it when I can fix it, but it’s hard sometimes.”
“Yeah, I understand. I hate every time thatwe end up having a baby in the bus, and they can’t express themselves.”
They all had a moment of understanding, of knowledge that they all had those moments where they wanted to help, and they couldn’t.
Finally Devon sighed. “Do we need to go pick the puppy’s stuff up?”
Laird nodded. “We do because, even if for some reason, this little guy’s owner shows up, somehow I have the feeling there’s going to be a dog in our future.”
Devon grinned. “Well, yes. As long as the cats approve of him or her.”
“Yeah.” Laird chuckled too. “They like this one, so I have a feeling it will all work out.”
“I know you guys will give him a good home given the chance.”
“We’re gonna try. We’ll make the calls and all, but…”
“But why was he alone out there if he has a home, you know?” Laird finished for him.
