Damsel in disguise

When Wee decided to christen the tiny little pup we trudged into the overgrown bushes to rescue Damsel, I thought it was the most adorable name in the world.

She was a damsel in distress when we swooped in to pick her up...

Or so I thought... 

What our Damsel turned out to be was something entirely different.

We soon discovered that this pretty miss was a feisty young lady who takes no nonsense from tender-hearted volunteers who crowded around and gushed over her. 

When these volunteers eagerly reached out to give her a tummy rub, our grumpy puppy would growl at those pesky human hands. 

When we were firm with her and tried to lift her up, she would cry and scream as if she were the most horribly abused dog in the world. 

And she would snap at us with her tiny little jaws and sharp (yes terribly sharp!) baby teeth to remind us that she was not one to be trifled with. 

In other words, this little girl was truly a damsel in disguise. 

Doesn't she look like an angel? Aha, looks can be deceiving!

We can't blame her for that though. Her mama taught her well. Stray puppies ought to be wary of prying human hands. The friendly ones are usually also the captured ones that are eventually put to sleep. 

Wee showed us a short clip that he recently took of Damsel's mother, a wandering stray. She looks like a female version of our Darwin - tall, skinny and hardy. Just like Damsel, she had ears that stood. 

But unlike Damsel, she was no tender puppy. Damsel's mother was a street smart, clever stray dog who manages to survive despite the odds that stack high against her.  

The clip was hastily filmed from a distance after Wee deposited a bag of food on the ground. There was a huge downpour and the rain was lashing mercilessly. There, across a deserted stretch of land, we could make out the hazy figure of a dog, making its way tentatively toward the bag of food. It kept looking around furtively, checking the vicinity for any sign of danger. 

She was drenched to her skin, but her ears were up and she remained alert. 

Watching the video made me think of just how hard these street dogs are trying to survive. It's their world too, but they have to fight harder than anybody else to exist on this land. 

Seeing Damsel's mother work so hard to live made me feel a great big need to give her puppy Damsel a better life. 

Damsel is slowly but surely adapting to the human touch. Her appetite's really good and her spunky personality is slowly beginning to surface. She has no qualms about bullying Deckie, even though he is probably twice her size. She loves Drizzle like a sister and likes tagging along wherever Drizzle goes. 

Damsel is growing physically as well. I used to be able to lift her with one hand. Now, she is taller than my knees. To tackle her wariness of us humans, we are slowly exposing her to new human faces and new scents. Wee also cuddles her close to him every day, just to remind her that we mean well and she has absolutely nothing to fear. I love to sit next to her and occasionally hold Damsel close for a big sloppy kiss. 

That girl is still treads carefully before humans. She still gets grumpy whenever she is tired, but I am happy to say that she is making huge strides toward rehabilitation. 

My guess is that Damsel is about 4-6 months now. She is steadily growing in size. Her once floppy ears are now standing but they still can't decide which way to point. 

Any potential adopter has to be an experienced one who can afford the time and patience to train this frightened little puppy. It's not going to be a smooth journey, but let me assure you that it will be an extremely rewarding one. 

This little puppy is seeking to be introduced to the wonders of home life and some good old lovin' from a human of her own. 

Would you be interested in lifting Damsel off her feet toward her happily ever after?

We would be extremely happy to entertain adoption queries at farmwaylove@gmail.com.