They Call Me Cujo

Hi, my name is Cujo. I think I have been called by other names, but this is the name I know the best. I don't remember the very first part of my life. I have been told it was not good. I lived with a lot of other dogs and wasn't taken care of. I am glad I don't remember.

About a year ago I came here to live in my forever home. Some people had me and they treated me nice enough, but they didn't really want a little dog such as myself. They fed me and gave me water and a place to sleep, but they kept talking about what "to do" with me. One day, they put me in the car and we drove to a campground. They all wanted to swim and I thought they might be thinking of tossing me into a pool of water ...... and me without my swimming trunks. That is a joke, just so you know.

The mother of the family took me into the office with her. There was a lady behind the desk and the lady holding me said, "This is the dog I was telling you about. See, he has a hernia and needs to be fixed, but we really don't want to spend the money on him. We already have other dogs and don't want to keep him." WHAT??? The lady behind the desk had kind eyes. She looked into my eyes and said, "Aren't you a handsome little fellow!" She reached for me and I climbed into her arms right away. The other lady said I had never done that to anyone else. Well, did she think I did not hear what she said about not wanting me?

The campground lady told her that she would keep me in the store while they were swimming and then make her decision about me. The whole time she was talking she was patting me and holding me close. I was trembling. I was scared to tell you the truth. My whole life, nobody ever wanted me!

When we were alone, the lady sat down in her chair and held me. I thought she might just stick me in a box, but she didn't. She talked to me and stroked me. She told me all bout her other dogs and said that I would have to meet them before she could agree to keep me. All I heard was "keep me". I licked her cheek and that is when she told me I did not smell very good.

I was not offended at all, since the people I had been living with smoked these vile things known as cigarettes. I was not prepared for what happened next, though ......

She never put me down as she gathered towels and dog shampoo and before I knew what had happened I was having a bath! If I had ever had one before, I don't remember it. I was scared at first, but the water was warm and she was very gentle as she scrubbed me from head to toe. She even cleaned inside my ears.

After wrapping me in a nice dry towel, she sat down low enough to meet all of her dogs. There were three of them. I had been around lots of other dogs, but these dogs were different. She talked to them and told them all about me. Wall-E came over and sniffed my arm, then he carefully licked it. He is a funny looking dog. He is bigger than me and has white fur and teary eyes. He told me not to be afraid. He referred to the lady holding as Gramma and told me that she loved dogs. The girl dog, Toni Louise tried to push me out of the way and told me that the lady was her Mommy. She nosed her way under the towel and sniffed my butt. Dogs do that, you know.

The last dog was the big test. If Oscar would not accept me, I would not be able to stay. Oscar is very old. He is almost 15 years old. He was almost 14 years old when I met him. He informed me that he was the boss of this pack. The other two dogs agreed. He came over slowly to inspect me. I was very nervous. He told me that the lady holding me was HIS person. He also called her his Mommy. He said that she had been his person all of his life and that nobody else in the whole world loved him as much as she did. He then sniffed me from head to toe and licked my face. I was afraid to move! I just sat very still until he was done.

The lady told me that Oscar had accepted me and that she would be my Mommy now. I was still very scared, but I looked up at her and she kissed my head. I was really scared of the man that came in to meet me. My new Mommy said he would be my Daddy. I wasn't too keen about that idea. Men scare me. Little children scare me. My Mommy said that I needed a new name and that since I was so afraid of the world, she would call me Cujo. She laughed and said it was ironic ....... she laughs a lot and she kisses me a lot. I like it here and I have decided that she is my person, the one person who loves me the best. I share her with Oscar.