The Chronicles of Molly

Have you ever had someone walk into your life that totally caught you off guard...and once they were there, you realized that it was meant to be? Have you ever met somebody who completely changed your life to the point that you couldn't remember what your life was like before? Have you ever met someone that you can't picture your life without them in it?

Enter Molly.

It was any other Mid-October afternoon at work. I had been staring out the floor to ceiling windows for most of the day. After lunch I was ready for my afternoon nap. Bummer. The chill was starting to move in. It was sunny, bright, warm, and beautiful and here I was. At work when I should have been outside enjoying the truly last day of summer. Forecasts warned of the first snowstorm of the year to happen this very weekend. Boooo! Hissss! 

Wh- that's weird. I say to myself, (as I often do-) "Self, I thought I just saw a dog walk past my window. I guess it's possible. The construction workers out here always have their dogs with them. No, wait. That time I definitely saw a dog walk past my window." The scrawny little critter came back and just stared in the window right at me.  Eye contact and everything! She wanted me to see her seeing me.

Hmmm...how odd. I follow her around the corner and across the street...I want to give her owner a piece of my mind for letting her wander aimlessly across streets in the busy Industrial park. Hmmm....how strange. This dog isn't going anywhere. I ease her back to my office and offer her inside. She looks thirsty. I fill a bowl with water, which she enjoys completely down the the last drop. I notice her collar - there's no tag. Hmmm...everything about this dog just gets more and more interesting! I find some leftover chicken in the fridge, heat it up, and feed it to my new little friend. We grab a leash (yes, I have leashes with me. And?) and start our stroll. We go into every single office and building in the park, asking everyone if they recognize her. Nothing.
We go back to the office, where I call Mike. Luckily for me, he has been out of work and is available to help. He comes and picks up the canine and takes her to the nearby Vet office to get her checked for a microchip. (Also a dead end).

Ok, dog. Where did you come from? I also had my camera with me so I took a picture of her and make a "FOUND!" poster that we taped up on every stop sign, grocery store, Pet store and apartment complex bulletin board. We make electronic copies and post it on KSL and Channel 2 websites. We post her on Facebook. By the end of the work day, we have no calls to claim the sweet little angel we've named "Molly". The problem now is, what to do with her? Surely I can't leave her here all alone all weekend. It's supposed to snow this weekend! Her bones are already showing more than is healthy. She'll surely freeze to death or worse. So, what did I do? Why, I took her home, of course! (well, Mike took her home for me since I still had to work for a bit longer) Would you be able to resist this sweet face?

The picture of Molly that was taken her first day. October 15, 2009.

She was really timid at first...she definitely didn't want to be left alone. She ate like there was no tomorrow (and still kind of does). From the looks of her, she had missed her fair share of meals. She obeys basic commands, loves fetch and is potty trained, so I know that somewhere there is a family that loves her and misses her. They put a lot of time in to training her to be such a good family dog.  We put her on a high-calorie peanut butter and puppy dog food diet to help fatten her up a bit. From the looks of her, she had been wandering around the park for a long time. I didn't want her family to be reunited with her and think that she had been going hungry the whole time. Besides, she got along so well with everyone, we didn't mind her being there. In fact, we kind of enjoyed it.

Sweet Molly - even shares her bed. Way to be a Team player, Molly!

After days, then weeks, and finally a month of false alarms and dead ends we came to realize...what if NO one was looking for Molly? What if she wasn't wanted anymore? What if she was left there...intentionally? I know it's hard to think, especially once you've met Molly. But, hey, some people suck. There is an unfortunate likelihood, as this type of garbage happens all the time.

Since I have dogs already that I worry about, I made sure to get Molly up-to-date on all of her vaccinations. If she was going to be there full time, I wanted to make sure she had a clean bill of health and nothing serious that could be passed on to the others. There were a few issues, but they were all a direct or indirect result of her malnutrition. Her eyes have begun to cloud over. Her teeth are broken and chipped from eating rocks to try and fill her growling, starving stomach. She is suffering from severe muscle deterioration. We've got a LOT of work to do. Phase 1: Get some meat on those bones. Phase 2: Exercise her to help her regain her muscle. Most importantly, perhaps - Phase 3: Teach trust and love.

Sweet Molly May

Several vet appointments over several months have come to show tremendous progress on Molly's behalf. She has meat on her bones. Her ear infections are gone. She LOVES fetch.  She LOVES to be outside. She LOVES people...even little 2-year olds.

Molly loves Noah - he would just sit and pet her all day!

February 2011 Molly went in to have her abscessed teeth in back removed. We have always known that she was sweet, tolerant, and loving. We just had no idea the extreme that it has gone to. The vet says that her teeth were so rotten, even down into her jaw bone. He says that when he grabbed the tooth with the pliers for extraction it just crumbled it was so decomposed. He says that she has been in such extreme pain the past several months. But, how could she? She never led on. She is just as happy as a clam 24/7. She wags her tail if she hears her name. She loves to sleep on her bed, but if she thinks that someone new is entering the room or the house that may offer a lap to lay on, or an ear scratch she will run up to you - tail wagging, eyes sparkling. Such the sweetie! I felt SO guilty that she was in this pain the whole time and I was completely clueless!

 When I went to pick her up on Feb 14 the vet told me that she was still bleeding too much. Much to my hearts dismay, we left her there overnight. It was so hard to leave here there. She was so excited to see me, and she knew that the car meant home. She just stared out the window and paced back and forth to get to it, whining. "My mouth hurts, Mom. I want to go home."

Luckily, she got to come home the next day. I was worried the other dogs would disrupt her and her much needed R & R to get her back to 100%. I had taken the afternoon off of work to spend cuddling and pampering this poor old lady. Pffft. Was I ever wrong. The second she walked in the door, she hardly noticed I existed. She was so excited! She just ran back and forth and smelled everything and everyone as if to say, "This is mine! I love this, too! And this is mine! I am home!". Sweet angel Molly. Luckily for me, Mom was home so she helped me to make sure that Molly got her medicine every morning and every night. It's hard to keep anyone else on a schedule when you work so much you can't even maintain your own schedule. I still owe you huge, mom. Thank you.

Molly home from her surgery

It has been over a year that Molly has been with us. She is the sweetest little girl you could possibly imagine. I wish so badly that she could stay with me forever. I knew when I took her in that I wasn't going to be able to keep her. It's hard enough to find a place that allows one dog...let along 4. Especially if one is 45 pounds. We have made sure to get Molly ready for her forever home, which is waiting for her in Meridian, Idaho.

Molly will be moving May 6 to her new, very own, very wonderful home. I know that she'll love being the only dog; getting all the walks, fetch time, ear scratches and spoonfuls of peanut butter a dog could ever wish for!

Molly LOVES fetch!

A big "Thank You" to Jim Rawlins for providing sweet Molly with her own heaven. She and I appreciate knowing that she will be safe and loved more than you could possibly imagine.

I love you, Molly. Thank you for wandering into my office, my life, and my heart.