Guest Post: Ralph the Rez Dog

It started out as a normal business trip, well at least when you live over four hours from a major airport anyway. My office staff and I were off to a conference in Las Vegas. Since it takes about 12 hours to get there by plane and 8 hours to drive, we rented a van and hit the road. To get from our area in Southwest Colorado to the bright lights of Vegas, you have to travel for several hours through the Navajo reservation in Arizona and Utah. We made it pretty uneventfully,minor fender bender and gully washer rainstorm aside. It was a pretty good conference, and we were anxious to get home. Little did we know a furry, four legged visitor was about to cross our path.

We were about six hours into our return trip when we stopped in Kayenta, Arizona for a break. If you’ve never traveled in that area, the scenary is amazing and seems like anothe planet with all the red sand and rock formations that make up Monument Valley. Kayenta is the only stopping place for a couple of hours in both directions. It has a few gas stations and fast food restaruants. Unfortunately, Kayenta also ends up being a dumping ground for all sorts of stray dogs. Without getting into a long discussion, Native American cultural attitudes toward pets tends to result in a large number of unwanted, neglected, or abused animals. A trip through any reservation town presents many opportunities to see reservation or “Rez” dogs roaming around looking for a handout.

The Burger King in Kayenta tends to be prime panhandling territory for the Rez dogs. It has the best grassy area in town with lots of tourists and travelers coming and going. I tend to buy an extra burger or two whenever I’m passing through. There is always a hungry belly waiting for a meal.

When I came out that day, there he was. The most handsome, brown, brindle boy you’ve ever seen. I gave him his burger and he just kept looking at me with these big brown eyes that represented a much older soul than chronological age would suggest. He followed me to the van and sat down. On a whim I asked, “You wanna come?” Without any hesitation, he hoped right into a van full of strangers and sat himself down in the seat beside me. We drove the rest of the way home with one dirty, smelly, but happy Rez dog. Somehow, he knew he’d just won the doggy lottery.

My husband’s first words were, “We are not keeping him!” We already had two dogs and felt our kennel was full. I decided we’d find him a good forever home. We had to call him something. The name Ralph came up and stuck, a practical name for a very practical boy.

The fun began when we started trying to find a home for Ralph. Because he obviously has some pit bull mixed in somewhere, the local shelter would not help at all. While their attitude has softened over the years, they told me that any pit bull mixes were euthanized immediately because they didn’t want to “take any chances.” Regardless of the fact that Ralph was terrified of any loud noise, voice, and our yippy Jack Russell Terrier, he was deemed a risk. The humane society that was not associated with the shelter agreed to help if we would act as a foster home. We tried, but were foster failures, and we just couldn’t let Ralph go. We’ve learned a few things about having Ralph the Rez dog as our companion for the past nine years.

● He would eat his weight in food all day long. I guess the memory of being hungry just never goes away.
● He needs a safe place to hide. He is still terrified of any loud noise or thunderstorm and hides in the closet until they pass.
● He hates to be pushed or pulled. He curls up in a ball and tucks his feet in like a turtle. He will go anywhere you tell him, you just can’t pull him there.
● He loves life. Ralph blew out his knee a few years ago and had a grueling recovery after knee replacement surgery. He hated the lamp shade collar he had to wear for a month, but was a trooper and always tried to be happy. Now he has arthritis and walks with a limp, but he still does the happy dance when we come home or if it’s time to eat.

I would have never guessed that I’d be bringing home another dog from a business trip, but I can’t imagine life without Ralph the Rez dog. We never know where they might come from, but pets certainly can change our lives in the most amazing ways. From Burger King, to king of our place, we’re happy he jumped in that van!

Kim is an optometrist, financial blogger, and animal lover. She serves on the board of For Pets’ Sake Humane Society and has been a foster failure for various dogs over the years. You can find her most days at Eyes on the Dollar.