The Prime Directive

How could I have forgotten The Prime Directive?

Now, those of you who are Star Trek fans know that the Prime Directive is that there can be no interference with the internal development of pre-warp civilizations.

That, however, is not my prime directive. My prime directive is that I should never, under any circumstances, leave the house without at least one camera. That's in case I should encounter a streaker or an auto accident, or a parade a block from home, or a hot air balloon floating by, or a rainbow popping up somewhere.

But it was a quiet day today. Most of the town (including Walt) was at the University for Picnic Day activities. In fact some of the SPCA dogs were at Picnic Day, so it would not even be a full complement at PETCO. I would just run Polly up there, and be back home in 5 minutes. Heck, I didn't even lock the house, so confident was I that I would only be gone a short time.

Well, you know what they say about how to make God laugh...tell Him your plans.

I arrived at Petco, and most of the volunteers (and dogs!) were still at the parade for Picnic Day and there was nobody to take Polly. Polly, of course, became her terrified self, hiding under my legs. Stacey did lure her out with treats, but once her tummy was full, she wasn't interested in anything Stacey wanted to do with her.

I decided to stick around until someone could take her into a cage...perhaps with Spencer, if he was still up for adoption. He hadn't arrived yet.

I moved to a shady spot to with with Polly in my lap. Ultimately I ended up staying 2+ hours, and was kicking myself for all the photo ops I missed. Like the five dachshunds, rescued from a "hoarding situation," with an 84 year old woman who couldn't care for them any more. Two of them where white with brown markings and milky blue eyes. I heard that one was blind and one was deaf (or perhaps more than one). Two of them barked shrilly, but the group of them together would have made a great photo.

No camera

There was Beauty, who was a beautiful 10 month old Black Lab/Great Dane mix who had been found wandering the streets, very skinny with lots of attack wounds. They felt she had been in a lot of fights. She is great with humans, but growls when she sees another dog, which is fun in a place that is filled with dogs in cages and people walking their own dogs. Lots of video ops.

No camera.

There was adorable Bruno, a black pug mix (perhaps a "puggle"?) who is always good for a photo op.

No camera.

There was Spencer, who recognized me and had a nice nose-to-nose reunion with Polly through the bar of his cage, when I walked her over there.

No camera.

There was Midnight, another black lab mix, who was in a cage next to me (I wasn't in a cage). Another young adult who was so incredibly friendly that he greeted everyone who walked by, and so heavy he threatened to fold the cage he was in over by resting his paws on it.

No camera.

There was Oliver, a fluffy cocker spaniel who looked like everybody's idea of the perfect pooch and Louie, a lively beagle who loved EVERYBODY.

No camera.

And there was Petite Syrah, a "tripod," a chihuahua mix puppy whose foot was crushed, resulting in the need to amutate her leg. She was absolutely adorable, huddled in the lap of a volunteer.

No camera.

After two hours, I decided to walk over to the car and get some water for myself and for Polly. Nobody had so much as looked at Polly (except for one woman, who reached out her hand, only to have Polly snap at her). Stacey suggested that since they didn't have enough volunteers and there were so few people there looking at the dogs (because of Picnic Day), that if I just wanted to go home, that would be OK. So I did. Polly was thrilled.

NEXT time I go to Petco, I will have a camera!

I've decided I need to get Polly out among people more, perhaps to get her used to more than just Walt and me. So we may start walking downtown soon!