Sunday night for the dog

*Little disclaimer: Not recommended if you're a big animal lover.* :)

Most people know I am not a huge animal fan. In America I never owned a pet. Here I have a love/hate relationship with the things.... we actually owned a couple cats for a while - because I hate rats more than I hate cats. :) Dogs here are not usually viewed as "pets." Some people eat them (sorry, but true) and some people keep them for security purposes, but very few people have the luxury of a pet. Our neighborhood is full of mangy, scrawny, dirty dogs that wander around and chew any toy the little boys leave outside. Our landlord's dog is the worst. His college aged daughter, Kathi, got the dog last fall as a puppy and it was actually half-way cute and the boys loved it. But, alas, it too grew into a scrawny, nasty dog who was particularly fond of scaring the boys and chewing on any toys they dropped in fright as they ran crying inside.

I do not like that dog.

We got in last night from our weekly town team meeting/prayer time and it was raining buckets and the boys were cranky, tired and hungry. We rushed them through baths and food, yelling the whole time as the rain on our tin roof is pretty loud. In the midst of it all, Kathi comes to our back door... the dog wrapped up in towels.

The dog is sick.

Will Brant please drive her to the vet in his car?

We are the only people that own a car in our whole area. Saying "no" is not an option.

We figured out pretty quickly that it wouldn't be real appropriate for Brant to drive her... which left me.

Driving at night. In the rain. Did I mention that they are in the middle of paving our little dirt road which means our "road" is kinda like a very dangerous obstacle course... all to help a dog that I have secretly been praying will be turned into someone's dinner!

But God is gracious in giving us opportunities to show love to our neighbors so off to the vet we went. I prayed the whole time we drove - not for the dog, but that we would actually make it to the vet's! And we did make it... yes, to an actual vet. I'm not quite sure how he would compare to a vet in the States, as I've never been to one in the States, but I'm pretty sure there were some huge differences. :)

It was quite the cultural experience. The vet's "office" was just an empty bedroom in his house. He had a metal medical looking table with a bunch of "supplies" underneath and a desk in one corner. Nothing else. He never ran any tests or gave any type of diagnosis. But he did poke at it some and asked a whole bunch of doctorish questions. Then he gave it some medicine "to make the fever go down".... gave him a shot of "vitamins" and then put the dog on an IV.... for about 5 minutes. That was it. Then we left. I don't know what I was expecting, but something a bit more???

When we got in the car I talked with Kathi and asked a bunch of questions just to clarify everything I saw and to get her perspective. She was quite relieved that the vet was able to help "so much" and that the dog was already seeming better and that the IV helped so much. I asked her what was in the IV...

"Gatorade."

Of course she didn't say "Gatorade;" she said the local brand equivalent (which tastes way better in my opinion!) but that's what she said! I almost drove off the road laughing... inside, of course. :)

So we did make it home fine and I just was so thankful we were all okay despite the rain and darkness and road construction and she was so thankful the dog was okay.

But then Brant ran into her this morning as he was getting ready to leave for work.

The dog died in the middle of the night.

So much for the Gatorade!

I don't know if I should cry or laugh or be thankful or all three!